Is the Iditarod dog sled race cruel to dogs?

That's exactly what the dogs used in the annual Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race are forced to do. It's only one of several ... In 1991, Frank Winkler, a two-time Iditarod racer, was charged with 14 counts of cruelty to animals after an animal control officer found a crate of dead and dying puppies in his truck. read more

The Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race is a sled dog race from Anchorage, Alaska to Nome, Alaska, a route that is over 1,100 miles long. Aside from basic animal rights arguments against using dogs for entertainment or to pull sleds, many people object to the Iditarod because of the animal cruelty and deaths involved. read more

The Discovery Channel interviewed Chas. St. George, director of public relations for the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, who describes the importance of socialization among the dogs and provides a great description of what it’s like to be a dog sled athlete, here. read more

No. Sled dogs run. It's what they love. (Most dogs love to run, actually.) My lab would pull a sled if we lived in a place with snow and I got him a good coat. read more