WASILLA, Alaska - Stan Hooley, dressed in a stylish chameleon green windbreaker, appeared tanned and relaxed in his office at the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race headquarters building.

But it was Hooley's carefully worded responses to questions about dog abuse allegations levied against one of the race's most popular mushers - and the large massage chair in the corner - that point toward a different reality.

The Iditarod is under some stress.

Iditarod officials are dealing with allegations swirling around musher Ramy Brooks of Healy that he kicked some of his dogs and hit some with his fists, and struck them with a ski pole, when they didn't want to leave the village of Golovin, less than 100 miles from the finish in this year's 1,100-mile race from Anchorage to Nome.

It's just the kind of allegation that sends ripples of anxiety through the insular Iditarod community of race officials, mushers, sponsors, volunteers and race fans.

Hooley said the increased scrutiny revives bad memories of a decade ago when animal welfare groups exploited the race to gain attention and drove away sponsors.

"Nobody likes the fact that we are dealing with this issue," he said.

At the same time, Hooley said, it is important to note the changes between then and now, especially when it comes to how mushers treat their dogs and the Iditarod's zero tolerance for any form of dog abuse.

"This sport has matured. This sport has evolved," he said.

Race officials have requested that the organization's lawyers conduct an independent investigation, Hooley said. The investigation is being conducted by Davis Wright & Tremaine in Anchorage.

"It is not something we are going to deal with among ourselves," Hooley said. "We just wanted to remove ourselves."

Brooks, 38, said the media has sensationalized what occurred in Golovin.

"I am going to defend myself," Brooks said, declining to comment further.

Lawyer Thomas Wang of Anchorage, a friend of Brooks' family, said he's helping to get Ramy's side of the story to the investigator.

"I hope and assume it will be a fair process. At this time I have no reason to believe it won't be," Wang said.

Race officials are hoping the report will be ready for the board of directors meeting today. Hooley said it is unlikely the board will make an immediate decision on consequences ranging from doing nothing to a lifetime ban.

Brooks has admitted to "spanking" his dogs with a wooden trail marker and was disqualified from this year's race. It was the first disqualification since Hooley became the race's executive director 14 years ago.

Race officials now are dealing with the difference between Brooks' account and what three people in Golovin have told race officials.

"The additional allegations are significant," Hooley said.

Race officials decided to seek the independent investigation to clear up what actually happened in Golovin and to assure fairness, Hooley said.

"Hopefully, the meaning that is being reaffirmed here is that there is zero tolerance for any type of abuse related to this event," he said.

Iditarod board president Richard Burmeister agreed.

"There is definitely no room for inhumane treatment of animals," he said.

Burmeister, a two-time finisher who has been involved with the Iditarod since its start in 1973, said when he heard about the allegations against Brooks he understood that it would take time to regain the confidence of people associated with the race.

"The bottom fell out of my heart when it happened," he said. "We strive and we work so hard and people don't understand how close mushers are to their dogs… The last thing you want is something like this to happen."

Many Alaskans feel that the Iditarod is uniquely their race. It is the longest sled dog race in the world and commemorates a shorter race of 674 miles by dog teams in 1925 using the mail route from Nenana to deliver diphtheria serum to Nome after an outbreak of the disease threatened the lives of Eskimos living there.

Lance Mackey of Fairbanks won this year's race. He pocketed $69,000 and was handed the keys to a $41,000 pickup truck. The prize money was nearly $800,000, about the same level as last year. The goal is to increase it to $1 million.

The Iditarod, with total revenues of $3.8 million, has 37 sponsors who contributed 34 percent of race revenues, or $1.2 million. Sponsors also provided in-kind services amounting to $1.3 million, Hooley said.

The race's total cash expenses were $3.7 million, with the race accounting for 43 percent.

The race has four major sponsors: Cabela's, Wells Fargo, General Communications Inc. and Anchorage Chrysler Dodge.

Cabela's contacted race officials at one point and asked to be kept informed about Brooks, said spokesman David Draper. The outdoors company remains committed to the race, he said.

"We will continue to support the race. We understand it is an isolated incident," Draper said.

The other three sponsors also are not considering pulling their support.

"It is really a cultural event that brings Alaskans together and we feel it epitomizes what Alaska is all about, the resilient spirit that these mushers and their dog teams have," said David Kennedy, a spokesman for Wells Fargo.

Rod Udd, owner of Anchorage Chrysler Dodge, which provides the race winner with a new truck, said he's proud to support the Iditarod. While any amount of mistreatment can't be condoned, mushers spend a lot of time with their dogs and "treat them like family," Udd said.

"Maybe the guy didn't do what they said he did," he said.

GCI spokesman David Morris said the communications company is confident race officials are handling the Brooks problem properly.

"We are not considering changing our sponsorship right now," Morris said.

Burmeister said after the board receives the Brooks report, it will go into executive session to discuss it and then decide if a vote is needed to punish Brooks further.

The Iditarod's rules committee also will be looking at whether language on mistreatment of dogs needs to be strengthened, Burmeister said.

The rules now say, "There will be no cruel or inhumane treatment of dogs. Cruel or inhumane treatment involves any action or inaction, which causes preventable pain or suffering to a dog."

Burmeister said race officials also will be looking at the amount of stress the mushers are under, including how little sleep they get during the race.

"This is very hard on me because this is not the Ramy Brooks I know," he said.