Victory! Luxury Tour Operator Insight Vacations Cuts Ties With Iditarod Following PETA Push

For Immediate Release:
January 5, 2026

Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382

Costa Mesa, Calif. –

After hearing from PETA that more than 150 dogs have died in the Iditarod since its inception—including a dog in a late stage of pregnancy who collapsed and died after being forced to run more than 300 miles in the 2025 race—luxury tour operator Insight Vacations has removed all Iditarod-related content from its offerings and committed to not promoting the race in its marketing. PETA is sending the company delicious, paw-shaped vegan chocolates in thanks.

*Dogs chained outside at a dog yard in Alaska. Photo: PETA*

“Dogs used in the Iditarod are just like the companions who share our homes, but they’re forced to run until their paws bleed and their bodies give out,” says PETA President Tracy Reiman. “PETA thanks Insight Vacations for this compassionate move and urges other travel companies and sponsors to reconsider their ties to this deadly race.”

Many dogs forced to race in the Iditarod experience stomach ulcers and airway dysfunction similar to “ski asthma,” and one study found that more than 80% sustain persistent lung damage. When the race is over, the dogs are sent back to barren yards where most are chained to dilapidated wooden boxes or plastic barrels through all weather extremes with only a small patch of dirt on which to sleep, eat, drink, and relieve themselves.

Insight Vacations is part of The Travel Corporation, which also bans elephant rides, dolphin shows, animal circuses, trophy hunting, bullfights, and other cruel and exploitative forms of entertainment from its offerings.

PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to use for entertainment”—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.