PETA Statement re Dog Who Died in the Iditarod

For Immediate Release:
March 13, 2015

Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382

Three-year-old Wyatt, who died yesterday as a result of “unknown causes” but who reportedly had a pre-existing condition that should have precluded his participation in the Iditarod is the latest casualty in a long line of dogs—on average, two dogs a year since 2004 that we know of—who have died during the race. And many others become ill. This year, other dogs who narrowly escaped disaster include ones used by Yuka Honda, who crashed into a sled, only to be run over by another, and Laura, a 5-year-old dog who is reportedly “blind” and “often seems confused” but who is forced to race anyway by Kelly Maixner. PETA is again calling for this dangerous, cruel race to be canceled permanently to save dogs from a lifetime of isolation, cruelty, and suffering—and before more dogs suffer catastrophic breakdowns on the trail.

— PETA Senior Vice President Daphna Nachminovitch