I’m not either. I think PETA are actually borderline psychotic. They make no distinction between humans and animals.
And I’ll catch hell for my post as it is probably a much anticipated event in Alaska.
I just don’t like to see needless animal suffering.
If the dogs are treated very well year round and this is a fluke, then I dont know...
I guess I would really have to read up on the whole thing to get a better idea of what it’s all about.
I guess if it happened frequently then they need to rethink the whole thing. If it’s a rare occurrence, well, it’s just sad that it happened.
The dogs are not mistreated. They train as a team and if you have ever had the enjoyment of being pulled by a sled team, you would know how much energy and enthusiasm the dogs have when they get harnessed up. There is no whipping to get them going. Quite the opposite. The sled has to be stake down to prevent the dogs taking off too early and the stake is released when the sled is ready to go. It takes off like a rocket shot. The dogs live for being part of the team.
2008 - 3
2009 - 6
2010 - 0
2011 - 0
2012 - 0
2013 - 1 (Paige Drobny's dog, Dorado, suffocated in a snow drift in Unalakleet after being dropped.)
2014 - 0
2015 - 2
2016 - 1
2017 - 4
2018 - 1 ("Blonde was one of 330 dogs pulled out of the Iditarod during the race so far, likely because of exhaustion, illness, or injury, and his death from a lung problem )
Too many have died and too many injured during the race. And there are no records on how many dogs have died in training.......
Run and survive or fight and survive, the Iditarod is no different than dog fighting, just without the blood.
“preliminary diagnosis showed the dog died from aspiration pneumonia.”
Sounds to me like the Dog inhaled his own Vomit as he was run to death to win a race. Waiting for the attacks on me as an Animal Rights Nut.....
It is a fluke because as noted, you cannot be a winner if a dog dies, therefore it is in the interest of the race to make sure the dogs get top notch treatment.
The guy took his dog to the vet, it is not as if he neglected it. Now, being a rookie, he may have not been as tuned in to his dogs as he will be once he gains experience, and he may have missed a sign that the dog was in distress because dogs hide their issues, particularly when in pack, and in the excitement which all working dogs feel when they get to do their work, there may not have been any visible signs of trouble until later after the excitement died down and the dogs were unharnessed and the racing frenzy was over.
“...PETA are actually borderline psychotic. They make no distinction between humans and animals.”
yes they do - it’s in their name. They are People for Ethical Treatment of Animals.
Their name does NOT indicate being for ethical treatment of humans.
Or they would be PETHA or if animals still more important to them then PETAH.
These dogs spend their lives chained to their doghouses unless they are training pulling a four wheeler. Not a good life IMHO