PETA Statement: Iditarod Announces First Dog Death of Grueling 2025 Race

For Immediate Release:
March 7, 2025

Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382

The Iditarod has just announced that a 4-year-old dog named Ventana, used by rookie musher Daniel Klein, collapsed and died on the trail this afternoon. Her death follows revelations earlier today that a dog used by musher Brenda Mackey collapsed on the trail and required emergency veterinary care, which Iditarod officials then tried to cover up. So far, more than 80 dogs have been pulled from the trail due to illness, injury, or exhaustion—and the race isn’t halfway through yet.

Please see the following statement from PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman:

With a longer trail, a sandstorm, and dogs suffering from lameness, diarrhea, vomiting, and one even falling into an icy river, this year’s Iditarod is proving to be the most grueling yet—and with dogs already collapsing and now one dying on the trail just a few days in, PETA is urging officials to stop the race immediately before any more dogs suffer and die.

More than 150 dogs have died in the Iditarod since the event began, including three young dogs who collapsed and died on the trail last year. The 2024 Iditarod was 975 miles; this year’s race, rerouted due to insufficient snow, is approximately 1128 miles.

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.