Is the Iditarod Sled Dog Race Safe for the Dogs?
Every winter since 1973, men and dogs face what has become known as “The Last Great Race,” the Iditarod, pronouced “Hi-dit-a-rod” from an Athabaskan Indian word meaning “a distant place.”
On Saturday, March 7, the Iditarod Trail Race begins in Anchorage, Alaska. The race will end when the last musher reaches the finish line in Nome, usually between 9 and 12 days from the start.
The famous sled dog race commemorates a 1925 rescue mission in which a series of sled dog teams carried a lifesaving diphtheria serum to the Alaskan community of Nome.
Not only does the race live up to it’s name, as it is run on one of two desolate 1,000 plus mile trails between Anchorage and Nome, the race crosses frozen rivers, barren tundra, treacherous paths and steep climbs while braving the meanest weather on earth. Temperatures during the day are considered mild at 0 degrees, averaging 20 below at night, sometimes dropping to -40 or -50 below. Weather can be harsh and bitterly cold, yet the dogs seem to love it. Stay informed of the weather along this year’s trail here.
Although several breeds of dogs run the race, the most common is the Alaskan Husky, a mixed-breed with Siberian Husky stock, born and bred for their stamina against cold and their love of running. Each sled is pulled by a highly trained team of 12 to 16 canine athletes, with 4 to 6 of the team being specialists – dogs who are particularly strong under certain conditions. Two lead dogs head up the pack while the “ballast” members of the team are the wheel dogs at the very rear of the pack.
To develop a performance team requires a long-term commitment of both human and dog. Training begins at puppyhood and becomes the dog’s life. The Discovery Channel interviewed Chas. St. George, director of public relations for the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, who describes the importance of socialization among the dogs and provides a great description of what it’s like to be a dog sled athlete, here.
Is the Iditarod race cruelty to dogs? Some would have you think so. The Sled Dog Action Coalition says:
In almost all of the Iditarod races, at least one dog death has occurred. The first race is reported to have resulted in the deaths of 15 to 19 dogs. In 1997, the Anchorage Daily News reported that “at least 107 (dogs) have died.” In the years since that report, 35 more dogs have died in the Iditarod, bringing the grand total of dogs who have died in the Iditarod to at least 142.
Although even a single death is grave and worthy of investigation, considering that over 1,000 dogs have entered each year, the percentage of canine athlete fatalities from the Iditarod is low in comparison to deaths of human athletes participating in auto racing and contact sports. Perhaps the fairness is more in questioning whether the dogs, unlike their humans counterparts, are given a choice to participate.
Dagny McKinley of Wild Hearts Dog Sledding the Rockies, writes:
… I received an email from Sled Dog Action asking me to please stop supporting the ‘cruel’ sport of the Iditarod. This is a topic that is very close to my heart as I worked for three years at a dog sled touring operation. The email says that the mushers are cruel and routinely beat their dogs, that dogs are not checked for health at checkpoints, etc.
My boss, Kris Hoffman [raced the Iditarod] with dogs I have known since birth. There is a running joke at the kennel that Kris doesn’t need to have children with his new wife, Sara because he already has over 100 kids; the dogs. These dogs are his children and I consider each of these dogs to be my friends. These dogs are never starved as Sled Dog Action would have you believe because starving dogs don’t have the energy to run. These dogs live to run. Many people think sled dogs look too thin, but they forget, these dogs exercise every day and are in top athletic shape. These are not house dogs and as a society, we are too used to seeing obese dogs or heavy dogs and that is unhealthy. The sled dogs at Grizzle-T can live up to 20 years old because they are in such good shape.
Take for example Honeycut. Honeycut is a shy dog who prefers the company of dogs to humans. He often hides under his home when we come around to feed him and will come out only for the briefest love with a select few people. But when it comes time to run and the harnesses are brought out, Honeycut will climb on my lap and give me kisses so he can run. It is clear these dogs love to run.
After investigating both sides of the argument. It appears the Iditarod has become big business, built on the ever popular story of man and beast challenging the extreme. Extreme sports. And along with big business and big money, comes professionalism. More veterinarians, better conditions, more regulations. But of course, there’s no way to really know what goes on prior to race day in kennels and training camps isolated in remote wilderness areas miles from public view.
However, it’s safe to say that most trainer/mushers respect the incredible abilities of these great dogs and likewise, the respect of the dogs themselves. Anyone that has watched dog sledding first hand, taken part in a sled team, or has owned one of these amazing dogs knows how much they love to work. And, while the Iditarod may have been less than safe in its early years, rules and regulations in place today ensure that the dogs are happy, healthy, and having fun!
I would like to convey my appreciation for your generosity giving support to people who really want assistance with this particular area of interest. Your very own commitment to passing the message all around had been extraordinarily valuable and have all the time permitted girls just like me to reach their ambitions. Your entire helpful help indicates a lot to me and somewhat more to my office colleagues. With thanks; from everyone of us.
I precisely had to thank you very much once again. I do not know what I would have used in the absence of the entire ways documented by you regarding such a subject. Entirely was the challenging concern in my view, however , taking note of the expert strategy you treated that made me to weep over contentment. I’m just happy for this support and thus sincerely hope you are aware of an amazing job you have been carrying out educating many people through the use of your blog. I am sure you’ve never met all of us.
I would like to show my respect for your kind-heartedness supporting men and women who require guidance on your concern. Your personal commitment to getting the solution all through appears to be certainly good and have in every case encouraged many people like me to arrive at their ambitions. Your entire valuable help and advice means this much a person like me and additionally to my colleagues. Best wishes; from all of us.
I simply desired to thank you so much once again. I do not know what I would have created in the absence of the actual concepts shared by you over this problem. This was the terrifying difficulty for me personally, however , being able to view the expert manner you processed the issue took me to cry over delight. I’m happy for your help and thus hope that you recognize what an amazing job you are doing instructing many people using your web page. Most likely you’ve never met any of us.
I would like to voice my passion for your kind-heartedness for persons who require help with your study. Your special commitment to passing the message all over had become extremely good and has enabled regular people just like me to get to their pursuits. The valuable guide implies a whole lot a person like me and still more to my peers. Warm regards; from everyone of us.
I want to show some thanks to you just for rescuing me from this problem. Right after browsing through the the web and finding proposals which were not pleasant, I believed my entire life was over. Living without the presence of solutions to the issues you have fixed by means of your good posting is a crucial case, as well as the kind which might have negatively affected my entire career if I had not encountered your web site. Your own know-how and kindness in touching all areas was very helpful. I am not sure what I would have done if I hadn’t discovered such a point like this. It’s possible to now look ahead to my future. Thank you so much for the professional and amazing guide. I will not be reluctant to endorse the sites to anybody who should receive counselling about this problem.
I’m commenting to let you be aware of of the exceptional encounter my cousin’s daughter went through checking your webblog. She learned several issues, not to mention what it’s like to have an amazing coaching mindset to have men and women clearly completely grasp a number of advanced matters. You really did more than our expectations. Many thanks for producing the powerful, healthy, educational and as well as easy tips about the topic to Janet.
I must convey my passion for your kindness giving support to men who really need help with that field. Your real commitment to getting the message all around was extremely invaluable and has usually allowed associates just like me to reach their pursuits. Your personal informative key points entails a great deal a person like me and even more to my office colleagues. Thanks a ton; from each one of us.
Thank you a lot for providing individuals with remarkably terrific opportunity to read articles and blog posts from this blog. It’s always so nice plus packed with a good time for me and my office fellow workers to visit your web site at least 3 times per week to read through the fresh guides you have got. And definitely, we are actually astounded concerning the staggering tips and hints you serve. Some 2 ideas in this post are basically the very best we have had.
I simply had to thank you very much all over again. I do not know what I would have done in the absence of the type of suggestions provided by you regarding that situation. It has been a real fearsome matter for me, but understanding the very specialized fashion you handled the issue took me to leap with gladness. I’m just grateful for the support as well as wish you really know what an amazing job you were carrying out instructing many people using your webpage. More than likely you have never got to know all of us.
I must show my appreciation to you for bailing me out of such a problem. Just after looking out through the the web and coming across basics that were not beneficial, I assumed my life was done. Being alive devoid of the solutions to the problems you have solved by way of your entire article is a critical case, and ones which may have adversely affected my career if I had not discovered your web blog. Your personal natural talent and kindness in controlling every aspect was tremendous. I don’t know what I would’ve done if I hadn’t discovered such a thing like this. I am able to at this point look ahead to my future. Thank you so much for this reliable and amazing help. I won’t be reluctant to endorse the website to anyone who should get support on this problem.
I in addition to my pals ended up analyzing the great advice from your web page then immediately came up with a terrible suspicion I never expressed respect to the site owner for those techniques. Those men came totally joyful to read them and now have clearly been taking advantage of these things. Appreciate your being really thoughtful and also for considering these kinds of brilliant issues millions of individuals are really desperate to know about. Our honest apologies for not saying thanks to you sooner.
I was very pleased to find this net-site.I needed to thanks on your time for this excellent read!! I definitely enjoying every little bit of it and I’ve you bookmarked to check out new stuff you weblog post.
I not to mention my friends came reviewing the excellent advice on your web site while instantly I got a terrible suspicion I had not thanked the web blog owner for those secrets. All of the young men became as a consequence glad to learn them and have certainly been enjoying them. Thanks for truly being indeed kind and then for considering varieties of helpful things most people are really desirous to discover. My honest apologies for not saying thanks to sooner.
Thank you so much for providing individuals with an extraordinarily breathtaking possiblity to check tips from this blog. It is usually so awesome plus full of a lot of fun for me and my office friends to visit the blog the equivalent of thrice in one week to read the new issues you will have. Of course, I am also usually fulfilled for the striking information you serve. Certain 4 areas on this page are definitely the most efficient we have had.
Needed to post you that little bit of observation so as to thank you very much again for those spectacular information you have featured in this article. It’s so surprisingly generous of people like you to present unhampered precisely what a number of us could possibly have marketed for an e book to help make some money for their own end, specifically now that you might well have tried it if you ever considered necessary. Those principles also worked to be the fantastic way to be aware that some people have a similar zeal just like my very own to figure out a little more with regards to this condition. I’m certain there are numerous more fun occasions ahead for individuals that start reading your site.
Thanks for all your labor on this site. My aunt really loves carrying out research and it is simple to grasp why. Most people know all concerning the compelling means you present vital suggestions on your web site and even encourage contribution from other ones on that theme then our girl is learning a great deal. Enjoy the remaining portion of the new year. You have been performing a wonderful job.
I wanted to make a brief word to be able to thank you for all of the magnificent concepts you are writing on this website. My extended internet investigation has now been honored with useful details to exchange with my family members. I ‘d claim that many of us site visitors actually are extremely lucky to live in a magnificent site with so many lovely individuals with useful techniques. I feel rather lucky to have encountered the web pages and look forward to many more brilliant minutes reading here. Thanks a lot once again for everything.
I just wanted to jot down a brief remark to be able to express gratitude to you for all of the fantastic secrets you are giving here. My time consuming internet look up has at the end of the day been compensated with brilliant tips to write about with my two friends. I would express that we site visitors are unequivocally blessed to dwell in a remarkable community with many marvellous people with insightful pointers. I feel truly lucky to have come across your entire web site and look forward to tons of more fun minutes reading here. Thanks a lot once again for everything.
I happen to be commenting to make you understand what a nice discovery my child went through checking your site. She discovered lots of issues, with the inclusion of what it is like to possess a very effective teaching style to have other individuals completely thoroughly grasp selected tortuous subject matter. You actually exceeded people’s desires. Thank you for providing these interesting, safe, revealing and in addition unique tips about that topic to Jane.
I simply desired to thank you very much all over again. I do not know the things that I might have made to happen without the type of thoughts contributed by you regarding such a problem. It seemed to be an absolute intimidating issue for me, however , coming across your specialised technique you dealt with that forced me to jump with gladness. Now i’m grateful for this work and even pray you find out what a powerful job that you are accomplishing instructing men and women using your website. I am certain you haven’t encountered all of us.
I and my guys appeared to be following the good hints on your web page and so then got a terrible suspicion I had not thanked you for those secrets. The women came as a consequence joyful to read them and have now really been tapping into those things. Thanks for really being quite considerate and for choosing this form of quality subject matter most people are really desirous to discover. My very own honest apologies for not expressing gratitude to earlier.
Thanks so much for giving everyone an extremely splendid possiblity to read from this blog. It’s usually so brilliant and packed with fun for me personally and my office colleagues to visit your blog on the least 3 times per week to find out the latest things you have got. And indeed, I’m just usually satisfied for the spectacular creative ideas you serve. Selected 3 tips in this post are honestly the finest I’ve ever had.
Thanks so much for giving everyone remarkably brilliant opportunity to discover important secrets from this web site. It is always so good and stuffed with a great time for me personally and my office peers to visit the blog a minimum of 3 times per week to see the newest issues you have got. Not to mention, I am also always happy considering the unbelievable information you give. Selected 2 facts in this post are basically the simplest I have had.
I have to show my passion for your kindness in support of men and women who absolutely need help on this particular subject. Your real commitment to getting the solution all-around was certainly valuable and has continuously helped people much like me to achieve their dreams. Your amazing valuable suggestions implies a whole lot a person like me and further more to my mates. Regards; from everyone of us.