Guest guest Posted February 20, 2000 Report Share Posted February 20, 2000 From the Sled Dog Action Coalition, http://www.helpsleddogs.org: The Iditarod dog sled race violates accepted standards regarding animal cruelty as is shown by the laws of 38 states and the District of Columbia. These 38 states and the District of Columbia have animal anti-cruelty laws that say " overdriving " and " overworking " an animal is animal cruelty. The California law is typical: " 597. Cruelty to animals. (B) Every person who overdrives, overloads, drives when overloaded, overworks... any animal... is, for every such offense, guilty of a crime punishable as a misdemeanor or as a felony or alternatively punishable as a misdemeanor or a felony and by a fine of not more than twenty thousand dollars ($20,000). " The dog deaths and injuries in the Iditarod show that these dogs are " overworked " and " overdriven. " If the Iditarod occurred in any of these 38 states or the District of Columbia, it would be illegal under the animal cruelty laws. Unfortunately, the State of Alaska's animal anti-cruelty law does not say that " overdriving " and " overworking " an animal is animal cruelty. In the Iditarod, dogs are forced to run 1,150 miles over a grueling terrain in 9 to 14 days, which is the approximate distance between Chicago and Houston. Dog deaths and injuries are common in the race. The Iditarod dog sled race spawns puppy mills. In Iditarod kennels or puppy mills, killing unwanted dogs is a common practice among mushers. These mushers breed many dogs, hoping to get a few who will be fast enough to race. According to an article in the Anchorage Daily News, " Killing unwanted sled-dog puppies is part of doing business " (October 6, 1991), most of the mushers cull by shooting their dogs in the head. Visit the Sled Dog Action Coalition website http://www.helpsleddogs.org to see pictures and for more information. Please write to the sponsors listed below. A sample letter is also provided for your use: Sample Letter: Dear I understand your company is associated with the Iditarod, and I would like to bring some facts to your attention about this brutal race and the kennels it spawns. Animal protection groups across the United States condemn the Iditarod dog sled race and the kennels for their cruelty. In the Iditarod, dogs are forced to run 1,150 miles over a grueling terrain in 9 to 14 days, which is the approximate distance between Chicago and Houston. Dog deaths and injuries are common in the race. Jon Saraceno, sports columnist for USA Today, called the race " Ihurtadog " and " an outrage. " Please visit the Sled Dog Action Coalition website http://www.helpsleddogs.org to see pictures and for more information. The Iditarod dog sled race spawns puppy mills. In Iditarod kennels or puppy mills, killing unwanted dogs is a common practice among mushers. These mushers breed many dogs, hoping to get a few who will be fast enough to race. According to an article in the Anchorage Daily News, " Killing unwanted sled-dog puppies is part of doing business " (October 6, 1991). Most of the mushers cull by shooting their dogs in the head. An animal who is not properly restrained when the musher shoots may suffer an agonizing death. Mushers also kill dogs who are injured in the Iditarod, old but otherwise healthy dogs, or any dog who is not wanted for any reason. Musher Lorraine Temple said, " They (the big racing outfits) can't keep a dog who's a mile an hour too slow " (Currents, Fall, 1999). It is standard for the dogs to spend their entire lives outside tethered to metal chains that can be as short as four feet long. In 1997 the United States Department of Agriculture determined that the tethering of dogs was inhumane and not in the animals' best interests. The chaining of dogs as a primary means of enclosure is prohibited in all cases where federal law applies. A dog who is permanently tethered is forced to urinate and defecate where he sleeps, which conflicts with his natural instinct to eliminate away from his living area. Being close to his own fecal material, a dog can easily catch deadly parasitical diseases by stepping in or sniffing his own waste. Please end your involvement with the Iditarod. Sincerely, Contact Information: Geoffrey C. Bible, CEO Kraft Foods/Philip Morris (Maxwell House Coffee) 120 Park Ave. New York, NY 10017 Phone: 917-663-5000 Fax: 917-663-2167 Email: onlineteam4 Email: geoff.bible Arthur Martinez, Chmn/Pres/CEO Sears, Roebuck & Co. 3333 Beverly Rd. Hoffman Estates, IL 60179 Phone: 1-800-732-7780 (toll free) Email: invrel John McGrath, CEO Burger King (Diageo plc) 8 Henrietta Place London W1M 9AG, Phone: +44-171-927-5200 Fax: +44-171-927-4600 Email message box: http://www.diageo.com/f_fb.htm Mr. Hugh L McColl, Jr. CEO NationsBank/Bank of America Corp. 100 N.Tyron St. 18th floor Charlotte, NC 28255 Email message box: http://www.bankamerica.com/contact/comments.html H. Larry Fuller and Peter D. Sutherland, Co-Chairmen BP Amoco (world's #3 integrated oil company) Britannic House, 1 Finsbury Circus London EC2M 7BA, United Kingdom Phone: +44-171-496-4000 Fax: +44-171-496-4630 Email message box: http://www.bpamoco.com/_nav/email (Suggestion: click " Help for shareholders " then click " UK Private Shareholders) Martin D. Feinstein, Chairman & CEO Farmers Insurance (Farmers Group, Inc.) 4680 Wilshire Blvd. Los Angeles, California 90010 Phone: 1-800-332-4639 (toll free) Fax: 323-964-8095 Email: jeff_beyer John Buddig, President Carl Buddig & Co. 950 West 175th Homewood, IL 60430 Phone: 708-798-0900 Email: buddigconsumers Email: jcarberry ____ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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