Death of 3 Sled Dogs in 2024 Iditarod Has People Outraged

The Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race is a grueling long-distance sled dog race held annually in Alaska, covering over 1,000 miles of challenging terrain from Anchorage to Nome. Three beautiful dogs perished during what is known as "the last great race on earth."

Dallas Seavey won his record sixth Iditarod sled dog race on Tuesday, and PETA has repeatedly called for the race to be shut down.

Just hours after the race started, Seavey and his team encountered a moose on the trail. Seavey's dog Faloo was injured before Seavey shot and killed the moose with a handgun. Race rules require any big game animal killed in defense of life or property to be gutted before the musher moves on, and the meat of the animal distributed. Seavey told officials he gutted the moose the best he could. However, he was ultimately given a two-hour time penalty because he only spent 10 minutes gutting the moose, officials said.

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In addition to the death of the moose, two dogs on separate teams collapsed and died Sunday, and another died Tuesday. Efforts to resuscitate all three dogs were unsuccessful. No dogs had died during the race in the last five years.

Why Do Dogs Die During The Iditarod?

While the race is said to be carefully regulated to prioritize the health and well-being of the sled dogs, sadly, some dogs have died during the event over the years.

PETA explains, "In just the last decade, dogs competing in the event have died from various causes, including asphyxiation, heart attacks, trauma from being struck by a vehicle, freezing to death, excess fluid in the lungs, and acute aspiration pneumonia—caused by inhaling vomit."

Henry, a 3-year-old dog on rookie Calvin Daugherty’s team, collapsed at 10:15 a.m. Tuesday outside of Shaktoolik. The Iditarod reported the other two dog deaths on Sunday. George was a 4-year-old on musher Hunter Keefe’s team and Bog was a 2-year-old on Isaac Teaford’s team. Both collapsed on the trail, race officials say. Officials are investigating what caused the deaths of the dogs.

AlaskaPublic explains, "Under race rules adopted in 2018, if a dog dies, the musher must voluntarily scratch from the race or they will be withdrawn unless the dog died due to an “unpreventable hazard” like a moose encounter."

Dogs can sustain injuries during the race, such as muscle strains, sprains, or lacerations from sharp ice or debris on the trail. They also are exposed to cold temperatures, stress, and fatigue. Some dogs are injured after falling, or during collisions with other teams.

If you would like more information or to sign the petition urging an end to the Iditarod, you can learn more here.

Race officials are said to closely monitor the dogs throughout the race  and provide veterinary care when the dogs need it. However, despite these precautions, the extreme nature of the race means that there is always some level of risk involved for both mushers and sled dogs. It's hard to understand any sport that puts the life of an animal at risk.

The New York Times explains that these dogs pull sleds weighing 250 pounds or more across mountain passes, frozen lakes and tundra in biting winds and temperatures that can dip below minus 50, a journey that can take 9 to 18 days.

That seems a cruel ask of a dog that doesn't have any say in the matter.

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