The Iditarod Has Killed More Than 150 Dogs

Alaska’s dangerous Iditarod dog-sled race begins on the first Saturday in March each year. During the event, dogs are forced to run about 1,000 miles from Anchorage to Nome in less than two weeks.

In addition to holding in-person protests, hosting a week-long text campaign, promoting our online actions, and more, PETA exposed what happened to dogs forced to run in the 2025 race:

  • A pregnant four-year-old dog named Ventana was forced to run so fast and so hard that she collapsed and died on the trail.
  • PETA confirmed that the Iditarod tried to conceal a serious incident involving a dog named Jett who collapsed on the trail and required emergency veterinary care.
  • A dog named Hank fell into a freezing river and was dragged.
  • More than 180 dogs were pulled from the trail due to illness, injury, or exhaustion—including one dog who suffered a partially torn Achilles tendon—forcing the remaining ones to work even harder.
This pointless race is a matter of life and death for dogs. Help end this cruelty by urging companies to drop their Iditarod sponsorships.
  • Sign our action alert and then tweet at healthcare provider Providence to ask it to stop promoting cruelty to dogs by sponsoring the Iditarod.
  • Contact Alaskan Brewing Company on Facebook, Instagram, and by using the company’s contact form. Ask the company to discontinue its sponsorship of the death race.
  • Comment on a post on Lynden’s Facebook page and tweet at them on X. Ask the shipping company to part ways with dog abuse by dropping its sponsorship of the Iditarod.

Thank you for your compassion for animals.

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