by Megan Worley

Created on: February 12, 2009

In recent years the Iditarod has garnered a lot of attention, not all of it good. Like any sport that involves animals the race has come under intense scrutiny from animal rights groups as well as many sports journalists who view the race as cruel. Those who hold this view cite the race as cruel because of the documented history of dog deaths, illnesses and many injuries.

The total numbers of dogs that have died in the race is 136, with nearly 107 dying in 1997 alone. These deaths are often the result of accidents that occur during the race, including strangulation from the towline, injuries from being hit with the sled, liver and heart failure and pneumonia. In more recent years "Sudden Death", a situation in which the dogs organs and muscles deteriorate rapidly to the point of death during extreme exercise, has also been blamed. Other injuries faced by the dogs during the race include bone fractures and breaks, spinal injuries, tendon and ligament damage, muscles tears, dehydration, and in some cases infections from contaminated foods.

The criticism of the Iditarod does not end with the race but continues on to look deeper into the way the dogs are treated both before and after the race. As the race has increased in popularity so has the number of dog kennels that populate both Alaska and the lower 48. Many of these kennels have an incredible 100 dogs to look after and some even have a reported 200 dogs. The fact that none of these kennels are inspected by state officials has led to concern for the dogs well-being outside of the racing season.

The reasons kennels are now being criticized stems from the fact that many of the dogs are kept tethered to a dog house with only a small area to move around in. This creates many problems for the dogs, including the fact that they are forced to go to the bathroom in the same area they eat and sleep in, the dogs risk strangulation, they cannot escape stinging and biting insects which can leave permanent sores, and being constantly confined to such a small place can make the dog aggressive and psychology damage them. These dogs are also forced to live outside, and those in Alaska can have to endure very cold temperatures. Although that may not be a problem for young huskies, bred for colder weather, older dogs or those with injuries can suffer a lot more from being left in the cold.

Many dogs suffer through this life, according to activist groups such as the Sled Dog Action Coalition, but some are not even allowed to live at all. Mushers who have huge kennels breed for the best possible sled dogs, killing off those who won't be able to make the cut.

While these actions are not going to be true of every musher and kennel, or even most of them, it is true of some and should be looked at closer to ensure that the dogs can live a happy life.

Learn more about this author, Megan Worley.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.