{"id":953333,"date":"2020-02-21T07:19:42","date_gmt":"2020-02-21T15:19:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.peta.org\/?post_type=peta-action&p=953333"},"modified":"2026-03-16T13:20:43","modified_gmt":"2026-03-16T20:20:43","slug":"the-iditarod-is-killing-dogs","status":"publish","type":"peta-action","link":"https:\/\/www.peta.org\/action\/the-iditarod-is-killing-dogs\/","title":{"rendered":"This Race is a Matter of Life and Death for Dogs"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Alaska\u2019s dangerous Iditarod dog-sled race begins on the first Saturday in March each year. During the event, dogs are forced to run about 1,000 miles from Anchorage to Nome in less than two weeks<\/em>, enduring freezing temperatures, blinding snowstorms, and often, painful injuries or illness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dogs bred in the dog sledding industry are commonly treated like inventory: kept outdoors year-round in all weather extremes, in crowded, unsanitary yards where disease and parasites run rampant. With nothing to do but run in endless circles around dilapidated boxes or barrels, which are the closest things they have to a “home”, they often spend much of their lives on a chain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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During the racing season, they face other dangers. PETA recently released the first in-depth collection of studies on the severe and lasting damage<\/a> long-distance dog-sled racing inflicts on dogs\u2019 bodies. <\/strong>In addition to publishing reports, PETA hosts protests, runs a week-long text-in campaign, promotes online actions, and continues to expose<\/a> the abuse dogs endure in the annual race.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here is just a glimpse of the suffering dogs endured during the 2025 race:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n