The Iditarod Is Killing Dogs

Alaska’s dangerous Iditarod dog-sled race is set to begin on March 4. During the event, dogs will be forced to run about 1,000 miles from Anchorage to Nome in less than two weeks.

In addition to holding in-person protests, PETA exposed abundant abuse during last year’s race:

  • Nearly 250 dogs were pulled off the trail because of exhaustion, illness, injury, or other causes, forcing the remaining ones to work even harder to pull the mushers.
  • Two dogs went missing on the Iditarod’s watch, a musher was apparently forced to drop out after dogs he was using were found in poor condition, and before the race even began, multiple dogs were attacked and one was killed during training.
  • During the race, Iditarod “winner” Brent Sass shared a disturbing video of dogs covered in snow and ice in the blistering wind with, as he described, their faces “totally entrenched in snow” and their eyes “all frozen shut.”

worst iditarod mushers 2020 Mitch-Seavey-chained-dog-in-snow© CCI Entertainment

This pointless, cruel race is a matter of life and death for dogs. Take action now by urging companies to drop their Iditarod sponsorships.

Please do the following:

  • Contact beverage company The Odom Corporation and politely urge it to stop sponsoring this arctic nightmare for dogs. Please call 1-800-767-6366 (press 9) during business hours (8 a.m. to 5 p.m. PT).

Call The Odom Corporation

Tell Us How the Call Went

  • Comment on a post on Formula 1’s Facebook page. Ask the racing entity to part ways with dog abuse by ensuring that its owner, Liberty Media, drops its sponsorship of the Iditarod.

  • Tweet at Liberty Media CEO Greg Maffei and urge him to stop promoting cruelty to dogs by sponsoring the Iditarod.

  • On its Instagram account, tell telecommunications provider GCI to stop sponsoring the death race.

CONTACT GCI ON INSTAGRAM

  • Send a “musher gram”! Call the race information line at 907-248-MUSH to have a handwritten note delivered to the musher of your choice. Ask last year’s Iditarod winner (the top dog abuser), Brent Sass, to stop forcing dogs to race every year.

SEND A ‘MUSHER GRAM’

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 Ingrid E. Newkirk

“Almost all of us grew up eating meat, wearing leather, and going to circuses and zoos. We never considered the impact of these actions on the animals involved. For whatever reason, you are now asking the question: Why should animals have rights?” READ MORE

— Ingrid E. Newkirk, PETA President and co-author of Animalkind