‘Dog Graveyard’ to Haunt Iditarod Mushers in Three-Part Push to End Deadly Race
For Immediate Release:
February 25, 2025
Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382
Bearing tombstones emblazoned with the names Bog, Henry, and George—the three young dogs who were run to their deaths during last year’s lethal Iditarod—PETA supporters will converge outside the Mushers Banquet Gala on Thursday to call for an end to the cruel race. The action is the first of three by demonstrators who are determined to end the immense suffering of the dogs used in the Iditarod—with more than 150 dogs having died in the race since it began, the top cause being aspiration pneumonia resulting from inhaling their own vomit. Counter-protestors are expected.
Up to half the dogs who start the race never finish it. During last year’s race, more than 200 dogs didn’t make it to the trail’s end due to illness, injury, exhaustion, and other calamities, forcing the remaining dogs to have to work even harder. In addition to the deaths during the event, five dogs were killed during training before the race even began.
“The Iditarod trail is a path of pain and suffering, as mushers force exhausted dogs to run mile after grueling mile in the ice and snow until their battered bodies break down,” says PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman. “PETA is calling for an end to this despicable death race before any more names end up on tombstones.”
PETA’s exposé of well-known Iditarod mushers’ facilities documented that, when not being forced to run, dogs, some underweight and in generally poor condition, are chained to dilapidated boxes or barrels in below-freezing temperatures
Where: Dena’ina Civic and Convention Center, 600 W. 7th Avenue, Anchorage
When: Thursday, February 27, 6 p.m.
The chilling display will continue at the Iditarod’s Ceremonial Start in downtown Anchorage on Saturday, where dog defenders will gather with signs reading, “Iditarod: 150+ Dead Dogs and Counting,” and “Dogs Struck, Kicked, Dragged for the Iditarod.” This year’s race marks 100 years since the Serum Run—a one-time relay in response to a health emergency that has been shamelessly co-opted by profiteering proponents of the Iditarod.
Where: Near the Iditarod Ceremonial Start, at the intersection of W. Fourth Avenue and D Street, Anchorage
When: Saturday, March 1, 9:30 a.m.
On Monday, attendees of the Iditarod Restart will be met by PETA supporters bearing signs reading, “Iditarod: Stop Racing Dogs to Death.”
Where: Iditarod Restart, Pike’s Waterfront Lodge, 1850 Hoselton Road, Fairbanks
When: Monday, March 3, 10:30 a.m.
PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to use for entertainment or abuse in any other way”—points out that Every Animal Is Someone and offers free Empathy Kits for people who need a lesson in kindness. For more information, please visit PETA.org or follow PETA on X, Facebook, or Instagram.
