As the last dog teams trickle across the finish line of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, organizers are working to quell the bad publicity generated by the disqualification of a top musher for dog abuse.

The race hit a high note when this year's highly likable champ, Lance Mackey, crossed the finish line, sealing unprecedented back-to-back wins of the 1,100-mile Iditarod and 1,000-mile Yukon Quest International Sled Dog Race.

But Ramy Brooks' disqualification for swatting his dogs with what Iditarod officials initially described as a thin piece of wood is a setback to the Iditarod and to Brooks, who could face tighter scrutiny from sponsors whose financial backing is integral to covering the steep costs of running a top dog kennel.

A witness has since said that Brooks kicked his dogs and struck them with a ski pole and his fist.

One of Brooks' dogs died between White Mountain and Safety, the last checkpoint before Nome. Iditarod race marshal Mark Nordman said that so far, the necropsy on Kate, a 3-year-old female, indicates that the two incidents were not related. Further tests were being conducted.

On Monday, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, based in Norfolk, Va., asked Alaska State Troopers to conduct a criminal investigation. Neither agency had heard about the new account of Brooks' treatment of his team at that point.

Troopers said on Monday that they have no plans to investigate or press charges against Brooks.

Numerous e-mails have been sent to race headquarters from all over the world voicing a broad spectrum of opinions, from support to condemnation of the race, according to Iditarod spokesman Chas St. George.

"We have to move forward. What we need to do now is make sure we strive for the highest possible standards of animal care," St. George said.

Sara Vanderwood, president of Mushing USA, called Brooks' disqualification "a very appropriate response."

"I think in some circles it is going to be detrimental to the sport, or certainly has the possibility to be," Vanderwood said from her home in Oxford, Maine. "Anything like this has potential to make people look badly on our sport."

Arleigh Reynolds, a veterinarian commissioned by Brooks to check the dogs Saturday, several days after Brooks arrived at the finish in Nome, said the dogs were in very good physical condition, with shiny coats and no evidence of bruising. Reynolds, of North Pole, sent the results of his examination to Iditarod officials over the weekend. Race vets had also found that Brooks' dogs were generally in good health, Nordman said.

Brooks, who lives in Healy, could not be reached for comment, and his Web site, www.ramybrooks.com was out of commission Monday. His primary sponsor, Cellular One, based in Oklahoma City, did not immediately return calls.

St. George said Iditarod sponsors such as Wells Fargo, Chevron Corp. and Cabela's are still behind the race. Each of those companies did not immediately respond to messages left by The Associated Press on Monday.

"This is not only unfortunate, it's very, very rare. And I know that our sponsors know that," St. George said.

Jerry Riley, winner of the 1976 Iditarod, was banned for life from the race in 1990 after he dropped a dog in White Mountain without informing veterinarians the animal was injured. Nine years later, he was allowed back in the race.

Brooks' disqualification is for this race only, and he could compete in the Iditarod again. He finished 31st last year and was runner-up in 2002 and 2003. The former Yukon Quest International Sled Dog Race winner comes from a family of renowned sprint mushers

Daily News reporter George Bryson contributed to this story.