Sled dog delivery: A musher is bringing groceries and medication to elderly neighbors in Maine

A musher in Maine is delivering groceries and supplies to seniors who are being encouraged to stay at home to minimize exposure to the coronavirus.

Hannah Lucas has been making the deliveries with a group of mushers for the past three weeks. She runs the Northlane Siberian Huskies and Seppala Siberian Sled Dog Team and a kennel of Siberian Huskies in Caribou, Maine.

Lucas said that while working as a clerk at Circle K she noticed lots of vulnerable residents buying small items such as milk, eggs or fruit.

"I’m out on the trails everyday with my dog teams, so I figured that I would just pick up these groceries for them and save them the trip," she told USA TODAY. "A couple of times we’ve picked up prescriptions for people at Walgreens."

Older adults and people with underlying health conditions are more susceptible to COVID-19, which has led many stores to dedicate shopping hours for seniors and vulnerable customers.

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Lucas got her dogs five years ago and started out competing in dog shows before she decided to try mushing. She jumped in headfirst, moving from Virginia to Maine in 2018 because she'd heard "Maine had the best snow in lower 48."

She takes orders by phone and then calls her clients when she's arrived at trail entrances near their homes. She observes proper social distancing guidelines by setting the food down and backing away before customers check to make sure they have everything they need.

She has 14 dogs that go out in groups of 6, traveling 50 to 75 miles per day to complete four to six orders. She said the deliveries provide a good workout for the animals who can pull up to 300 pounds in the sled, adding that she hopes to run the Iditarod one day.

So far the response from recipients has been very positive. She said she hopes to keep making the trips as long as there is enough snow on the ground.

"They're always really excited to see the dogs especially because they can get really loud," she said. "They’re also really thankful for me saving them the trip and the exposure to their families."

Follow N'dea Yancey-Bragg on Twitter: @NdeaYanceyBragg