Animal Writings

The Anchorage Daily News is one of the Iditarod's chief sponsors, and one of the biggest beneficiaries of Iditarod-related advertising. Their news coverage of the Iditarod is more like a pep rally; nothing negative. Lots of feel-good fluff; how mushers take such care of their dogs and so forth. Where's the investigative report on dogs that get pneumonia, gastric ulcers, and infections — common side effects of the Iditarod? How about a piece on kennel owners that shoot disabled dogs? Imagine what that would do to advertising revenue.

Alaska media outlets that have an interest in the Iditarod's popularity — that would be all of them — repeat the lie that sled dogs in the Iditarod are like humans running a marathon. Human athletes take calculated risks with informed consent, on their own accord. Sled dogs are literally roped into the Iditarod. They can't opt out. Show me a dog that runs 1100 miles over a 9-day stretch all on his own.

Criticism of the race is not tolerated by the Alaska press. Mention the Iditarod dogs that choke on their own vomit, or that die from bleeding ulcers brought on from overmedication, and you're guaranteed to bring on the wrath of the true believers. It's like criticizing a cult. How dare we defame the brave canine heroes and their proud mushers? If we don't like the Iditarod, we obviously don't understand it. This is the same mentality that defends cockfighting as an honorable "tradition", that denies the use of electronic prods in rodeos, and that gushes over the happy circus elephants — kidnapped and in chains. There's no cruelty in the Iditarod like there's no cruelty at Ringling.

One recent column in the Anchorage Daily News talked — glowingly, of course — about a dog that had been in the Iditarod nine times, and used that as evidence that dogs like the event — proving that no illogic is too crazy to be used in Iditarod marketing. I expect to see an editorial in the future about how dogs are dying to run in the race.

Another piece in the same paper lamented the recent death of a sled dog that was stomped to death by a moose. As always, the misfortune was presented as random and unavoidable. As always, not one question was raised about the culpability of the musher. The victim was tethered and unable to flee. He was probably worn out from "trudging" through the soft snow. He may have been cold and hungry as well. The temperature was 50 degrees below zero. More tragedy on the torturous trail.

Going out for a fun run, then coming in to be petted in a comfortable warm house is one thing. The punishing training regimen of the Iditarod is quite another. Yes, accidents do happen. But anyone who would enter their dogs in the Iditarod has shown that they would compromise the welfare of their animals and recklessly endanger their health. These people need to be scorned, perhaps helped, not heaped with adulation. But the local press refuses to acknowledge the considerable risks, and irresponsibility, of making dogs run such an insane distance. The rising Iditarod death toll — the dogs who die from the rigors of the race, as well as the puppies that are killed because they don't make the cut — is largely the media's fault. They're the cheerleaders who heap praise on the mushers year after year, who urge them on regardless of the consequences, who censure anyone who might point out that the Emperor's not wearing any clothes.

Most disgusting is the propaganda aimed at children. It's crucial that the race committee get to kids early, while they're at their most impressionable, in order to ensure continued hero worship and financial support. Iditarod promotional packs, disguised as educational materials, present the race as a giant Disney movie: proud, brave mushers who love their dogs and inspire them to victory. Mixed in with the teaching kits are pitches for Iditarod books and souvenirs. As you might expect, there's nothing in the materials about all the dogs that have died in the race. Nothing about how fluid collects in the dogs' lungs. No photographs of injured dogs limping or falling. Nothing about the effect of long-term chaining on a dog's quality of life. No mention of "culling." Nothing about the abuse and cover-ups that are central to the entire Iditarod enterprise from beginning to end. After all, if the kids knew the truth, they would bitterly complain about the race instead of holding fundraisers.

Attention parents: You don't want your children being lied to so they'll support animal cruelty. Find out if your school is in any way involved with pro-Iditarod activities. If so, please complain to the principal. Let him or her know that the Iditarod would be illegal in 38 states. Copy and paste this text, a first-hand account of Iditarod musher brutality by author Gary Paulsen:

"All the time he was kicking the dog. Not with the imprecision of anger, the kicks, not kicks to match his rage but aimed, clinical vicious kicks. Kicks meant to hurt deeply, to cause serious injury. Kicks meant to kill." The dog died.

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"I hope there will be plenty of cameras at the finish line so everybody can see pictures of the sled dogs when they limp across the finish line. I'd like the public to see videos of the dogs the day after the race, too. Let the public see for themselves that the poor sled dogs are innocent victims. My heart aches for them.

I want to be remembered as a kid who cares about the Iditarod dogs. My heart aches knowing that this horrible race is going to happen soon. I cannot imagine that any people are happy about it. If falling to my knees and crying a river of tears would make people stop the Iditarod race ... it will be done.

No Iditarod For Me,

Kayla - aka Little She Wolf Warrior Woman"

AKidWhoCares@aol.com