Dying, Chained, and Sick Dogs Found at Iditarod Champ’s Kennel

Published by PETA Staff.
3 min read

A whistleblower has come forward with disturbing photographs and video footage that apparently reveal dying puppies and injured, sick dogs at a kennel reportedly owned by Dallas Seavey, the four-time Iditarod champion who was recently implicated in a dog-doping scandal.

Dozens chained to plastic barrels. This is their life — all for a race 😢 Hearing these dogs will break your heart.

Posted by PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) on Monday, November 6, 2017

According to the whistleblower, operators at the Willow, Alaska, kennel allowed severely injured and ailing dogs to suffer—sometimes fatally—without veterinary care. The whistleblower reported finding a litter of seven newborn puppies who died within the past month without any veterinary intervention. One of them was apparently buried on site.

These puppies, seen chewing on Pedialyte-soaked sponges, later allegedly died.
Reportedly, this is a puppy burial ground.

Many other dogs reportedly suffered from bloody diarrhea and vomiting, puncture and bite wounds, and torn ears. The whistleblower reported that handlers allegedly picked up dogs by their throats and threw them to “punish” them for fighting or not obeying commands.

According to the whistleblower, multiple dogs and puppies were suffering from various ailments, including bloody diarrhea.
This chained-up dog suffered from what appears to be an open, oozing wound.

The whistleblower also reported that dogs have been left for weeks in doghouses soaked by rain and snow and that a three-legged dog named Gott—who experienced a spinal clot during the Yukon Quest race and had to have his leg amputated—is perpetually chained and struggles to move around.

PETA forwarded the evidence to state police and local animal control authorities and has learned that officials inspected both of Seavey’s properties over the weekend.

Every day brings new revelations of routine cruelty in the sledding industry.

Just last week, veteran musher Zoya DeNure revealed that she believed that some trainers— including those at Seavey’s kennels—have killed “hundreds on top of hundreds or more dogs” because they were deemed slow or unfit for races. She wrote, “Sadly, this has been going on in the family ‘dynasty’ for decades.”

Seavey’s troubles began earlier this month after Iditarod officials revealed that he was involved in an opioid-doping scandal involving dogs he used for racing. Officials for the Iditarod have confirmed that during the 2017 race, several dogs tested positive for a “prohibited substance.”


Learn more about the Iditarod on The PETA Podcast:

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Help PETA shut down the horrific dog-sled industry, starting with the Iditarod.

Dogs deserve far better than to have to endure a lifetime of isolation, cruelty, suffering, and death.

After hearing from PETA supporters, many companies have dropped their Iditarod sponsorships. But some others, including Millennium Hotels and Resorts continue to fund this deadly spectacle. Stand with PETA by demanding that they stop sponsoring this abusive race.

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