Sled Dogs Face Avalanche of Dangers

by Stephanie Feldstein · 2009-12-20 09:00:00 UTC
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Dog sledding made the headlines again last week when about 100 starving and neglected sled dogs were rescued from a kennel in Colorado where eight dogs were found dead. Another dog died on its way to the vet. For the rest, it's a wait-and-see situation. The Sheriff's department hopes to file 108 charges of animal cruelty against the kennel owners. It's not the first time this kennel has been in trouble: in 2003, they were charged with one count of animal cruelty and 103 counts of failure to obtain a dog license.

It's not the first case of this magnitude affecting sled dogs. Not even this year. Just last month, around 100 neglected sled dogs (including 30 pregnant females) were rescued from a kennel in Quebec. And it's well-known that large-scale neglect isn't the only danger faced by sled dogs.

Like many sports, dog sledding has been corrupted by greed. The top finishers in the famous Iditarod win thousands of dollars in prize money, and many of them land endorsement deals. That's not the same dog sledding world as the first Iditarod in 1973, where the speed record was set at 20 days and 49 minutes. The current speed record was set in 2002, at only 8 days, 22 hours and 46 minutes.

Sled dogs were bred to run -- just look at how many stray huskies and malamutes end up shelters -- but these dogs are pushed beyond their limits. At the Iditarod, an average of three dogs die every year. In 2009, six dogs lost their lives in this competition. Of course, the PR Director for the race said, "If you take any group of 1,072 dogs ... a certain number of deaths could occur over a two-week period."

But this isn't just "any group" of dogs. These are young dogs who are supposed to be in top shape. Yet two of the dogs this year (a five-year-old and an eight-year-old) died from fluid in the lungs, two died of hypothermia, and one died on the flight home. In the off-season, a number of sled dogs receive inadequate care and, year-round, they commonly live out their lives on chains.

There are a number of people out there who defend sled dog competitions, who say the running keeps them alive for as many as 20-25 years  (except for the five-year-olds that die in the race), and that they're bred to live outside in this weather (except for when they die of hypothermia). These dogs might be built to run, but they're still dogs, not sports equipment.

Photo credit: SPCA Laurentides-Labelle

Stephanie Feldstein is a Change.org Editor who has been part of the animal welfare and rescue community for over a decade, and most recently worked for an environmental organization.
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