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Faced with a sharp decline in popularity, an exodus of sponsors, and mounting controversies, the 2024 Iditarod is on thin ice.
To date, more than 150 dogs have died during Iditarod races, in addition to the countless others humans have killed simply because they weren’t fast enough or who have died during the off-season while chained outdoors in below-freezing weather, as revealed in PETA’s exposé of well-known mushers’ facilities.
Before the 2024 race even began, allegations of sexual assault and domestic violence made headlines. Iditarod officials initially failed to act after it was revealed that two mushers—both slated to compete in the Iditarod—had been asked to withdraw from the Kuskokwim 300 Sled Dog Race over allegations of abusing women. The two men joined a long list of mushers who have been accused or convicted of violent criminal acts.
Make no mistake: Dogs used in the Iditarod suffer badly. They’re chained outside in fierce weather when not being forced to race until their paws bleed and their bodies break down. PETA is demanding an end to this shameful spectacle before more dogs die in agony.
Here’s the latest news about the 2024 Iditarod:
PETA Arrives in Alaska to Shine a Light on the Deadly Dog Race
On Thursday, February 29, a PETA supporter dressed as an Iditarod musher pulling a sled piled with “dead dogs” created a scene outside the Mushers Banquet Gala in Anchorage, calling for an end to the lethal race and the cruel treatment of dogs.
PETA supporters will also protest at the Iditarod’s Ceremonial Start in downtown Anchorage on Saturday, March 2, displaying a giant banner high above the crowd reading, “Iditarod: Dogs Chained for Life, Run to Death,” with gashed and bloodied “dogs” chained to poles holding up the message.
On Sunday, March 3, attendees of the Iditarod Restart in Willow can expect to see concerned locals and PETA supporters brandishing signs that read, “Iditarod: Stop Racing Dogs to Death.”
Year After Year, the Iditarod Exploits and Injures Animals
During the 2023 Iditarod, approximately 175 dogs were pulled off the trail due to exhaustion, illness, injury, or other causes, leaving the remaining ones to work even harder. Last year’s race ended in controversy after the winner was caught on video dragging exhausted dogs toward a checkpoint.
In 2022, the Iditarod sparked an intense backlash for punishing mushers who had brought dogs inside to shelter them from a potentially fatal storm, proving that cruelty is built into the race.
Take Action for Dogs
Join PETA and thousands of conscientious people in urging the few remaining sponsors of the Iditarod to end their support of the death race.
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