Cut in Denali Funding Prompts Offer to Replace Dog-Sledding Program With Skis and Human-Pulled Sleds

For Immediate Release:
September 23, 2026

Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382

With federal funding cuts threatening Denali National Park & Preserve’s ability to provide day-to-day care for the dogs in its sledding program, PETA sent a letter this morning to park Superintendent Brooke Merrell, offering to provide free cross-country skis and human-pulled sleds, as well as an eco-friendly electric snowmachine—for areas of the park where permitted—provided she agrees to end the program and retire the dogs to loving homes.

In the letter, PETA notes that forcing dogs to haul humans and heavy equipment through harsh conditions can lead them to suffer from orthopedic injuries, painful gastrointestinal lesions, dehydration, hypothermia, and potentially life-threatening heart, kidney, and respiratory conditions—risks that could only be compounded by reduced daily care.

“Denali’s dog-sledding program was developed more than a century ago, when far less was understood about animals’ needs and today’s technology was unimaginable,” says PETA Vice President Daniel Paden. “These dogs are being pushed to their limit hauling heavy sleds through the punishing cold, and PETA is urging the park to retire them to loving homes and adopt humane, animal-free transportation.”

PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to use for entertainment or abuse in any other way”—points out that Every Animal Is Someone and offers free Empathy Kits for people who need a lesson in kindness. For more information, please visit PETA.org or follow PETA on X, Facebook, or Instagram.

PETA’s letter to Merrell follows.

September 23, 2026

Brooke Merrell

Superintendent

Denali National Park & Preserve

Dear Superintendent Merrell:

I hope this message finds you well. I’m writing on behalf of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) to ask Denali National Park & Preserve to retire its sled-dog program and transition to modern, animal-free transportation methods. To help facilitate that transition, PETA would be pleased to provide the park with an eco-friendly electric snowmobile—and sets of cross-country skis and pulk sleds for areas in which snowmobiles are not allowed—at no cost if the National Park Service commits to ending its use of sled dogs for park operations.

Recent reports indicate that federal funding cuts could affect the National Park Service’s ability to hire three people to provide day-to-day care for the dogs at Denali, raising concerns about the long-term sustainability of the program and its ability to meet the animals’ needs. Dogs used for sled pulling can suffer from orthopedic injuries, painful gastrointestinal lesions, dehydration, hypothermia, and potentially life-threatening heart, kidney, and respiratory conditions caused by extreme exertion and exposure, and the risks to their health will no doubt be amplified by reduced day-to-day care. This could be the perfect opportunity to phase out the reliance on dogs for transportation in the park’s harsh conditions and increase the use of human-powered skis with pulk sleds, or modern technology such as electric snowmobiles that help protect the environment and limit sound disturbances while maintaining winter patrol readiness.

PETA would welcome the opportunity to discuss our offer and the dogs’ retirement to loving homes. We hope the National Park Service will consider whether a program developed more than a century ago still reflects today’s understanding of animal welfare and available technology.

Thank you for your time and consideration. I look forward to your response.

Sincerely,

Allison Fandl

Manager of Special Projects

Cruelty Investigations Department | PETA