Deadly Tails: The Serious Dangers Behind Dog Sledding
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On March 1 more than 60 mushers will go head-to-head in the “Last Great Race on Earth”: the Iditarod. Around 1,040 dogs will be pushed to their limit, running 1,150 miles over approximately 15 days. Many see the race as a good competition that the mushers and the dogs are dying to compete. However, many people don’t realize the dogs are literally dying to run in this so-called great race.
“Good news: The annual I-killed-a-dog-sled race is over. That means that all of the dogs who managed to make it through another year without getting beaten to death on the frozen tundra of Alaska have another 12 months to breathe easy,” wrote journalist, Jim Rome, at the end of the Iditarod race in 2001.
Year after year, sled dogs endure harsh conditions in the Alaskan wilderness. With each step they take, many are moving one step closer to death. Mushers all around the world are frequently found abusing their dogs and ignoring signs of injury or illness; after-all the mushers are getting paid. If dog doesn’t cooperate or is hurt, it could mean the end of the race and a shot at the purse of $69,000, the 2007 winning total.
Alaska resident Mary Shields, the first woman to finish the Iditarod, stated in a recent interview with Neirad Enlino, “As in every sport, there are some participants whose egos want the glory without the years and years of work that is required. On some occasions, a few mushers have demanded too much from their dogs. [They] have gone over the line [and either] lost their temper or their good judgment.”
Pushing the dogs too hard can result in injuries ranging from burns on their paws, freezing to death, hernias, ulcers, and heart attacks. These injuries don’t come as a surprise when the dogs are running 1,150 miles in subzero temperatures. When dogs simply race 100 miles, serious stomach ulcers and gastrointestinal damages are not likely to occur. However, even if sled dogs are not beaten, they are bound to undergo serious bodily damage covering extreme distance.
“A lot of organizations say that these animals should not be in these conditions no matter how well you treat them.” Nancy Rice, the Outreach Coordinator at Friends of Animals, stated. No matter how well someone treats the animals, Rice says their body simply cannot withstand the cruel conditions. Each dog is forced to survive on little sleep, food, and water. In some instances the animals have been rushed to the hospital because they ended up drinking a bottle of fuel.
From her own experience, Shields said, “In the 1988 Yukon Quest Race, I had a dog that collapsed of heat exhaustion. The temperature rose to an unseasonably 34°F. I carried the dog in my sled bag. I stayed for 13 hours [in Eagle, Alaska and] the dog seemed okay, but the air temp stayed high, so I sent the dog home from Eagle, rather than take the chance of more heat trouble. If the musher does not have the good sense to send the dog home, the vets have the authority to demand this action. The vet can tell a musher to say longer or send the dog, or the whole team out of the race. Vets rule!”
The Iditarod is a cultural and state-wide event. Many people throughout Alaska and the nation look forward to the annual competition. The race gives mushers bragging rights to say they endured some of the harshest conditions in the Last Frontier for 15 days. But animal welfare organizations question what there is to brag about when in reality they are killing the lives of innocent animals.
Shields stated, “At the present, there is so much glory and money involved, some people forget why they are really there. Most mushers enjoy this sport, and begin this sport because they love the dogs.”
Yet, others have aspirations that are not so noble. In the words of the Black Eyed Peas: “Most of us only care ‘bout money makin’, Selfishness got us followin’ the wrong direction...’Cause people got me, got me questionin’, Where is the love?” For many dogs the love is not in the Iditarod.
