Guest guest Posted May 27, 2000 Report Share Posted May 27, 2000 From the Sled Dog Action Coalition, http://www.helpsleddogs.org: USA Network aired a program that glorified the cruel Iditarod dog sled race. The show's producers gave the public a false impression by not reporting that a dog died in this year's race, that countless dogs became ill from a widespread virus or were injured so that mushers could pursue their dreams of winning prize money. This year, the Iditarod Trail Committee handed out a record purse of more than $525,000 divided among the top 30 finishers - not just the top 20, as in years past. The Iditarod dog sled race is condemned by animal cruelty groups across the United States, because dog deaths and injuries are common in the race. In the last four years, ten dogs have perished in what USA Today sports columnist Jon Saraceno calls " a mad marathon of canine misery. " No one has any idea how many dogs are destroyed in the weeks after the race because of debilitating injuries that renders them useless. Mushers believe in " culling " or killing unwanted dogs. Dogs who are permanently disabled in the Iditarod, or who are unwanted for any reason, are killed with a shot to the head. Thirty-eight states and the District of Columbia have anti-cruelty laws that would make the Iditarod illegal because of overworking an animal. George Diaz, sports columnist for the Orlando Sentinel, referred to the Iditarod as " illegal sweatshop for dogs. " A sample letter and contact information are provided below: Dear Your company sponsored a USA Network show in April that glorified the Iditarod and I would like to bring some facts to your attention about this brutal dog sled race. The Iditarod is condemned by animal protection groups across the United States, because dog deaths and injuries are common in the race. 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 Denver and LA. Dogs in the Iditarod die from such causes as stress pneumonia, gastric ulcers, or " Sudden Death Syndrome " --literally running to death. About a third of the 1,500 dogs who start the race fail to finish because they become sick, injured, or exhausted. Many of the dogs collapse at the finish line, and many cannot rise to a standing position to eat for days. Jon Saraceno, sports columnist for USA Today, called the race " Ihurtadog " and " an outrage. " George Diaz, sports columnist for the Orlando Sentinel, referred to the Iditarod as " illegal sweatshop for dogs. " Thirty-eight states and the District of Columbia have anti-cruelty laws that would make the Iditarod illegal because of overworking an animal. Please visit the Sled Dog Action Coalition website http://www.helpsleddogs.org to see pictures and for more information. The Iditarod Trail Committee wants people to think of the Iditarod as a commemoration of the 1925 Anchorage to Nome diphtheria serum run. However, there are very few similarities between the two events. Half of the 1925 serum run was done by train. Dogs ran in relays for the remaining 500 or 600 miles, with few dogs running more than 100 miles. In the Iditarod, dogs run 1,150 miles over terrain far more grueling than the terrain found on the serum run route. The race has led to the proliferation of husky dog kennels in Alaska. In these kennels, many dogs are treated cruelly. Many kennels have over 100 dogs and some have as many as 200. None of the kennels is inspected or supervised by the State of Alaska or by anyone else. 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 fecal material, a dog can easily catch deadly parasitical diseases by stepping in or sniffing waste. In their kennels, the dogs are never given the opportunity to run free even in a fenced in area. Many of them drink water from hard-to reach rusty cans that are bolted to their doghouses and are rarely cleaned or disinfected. Injured and old, arthritic dogs are kept outside in the winter when the average daily minimum temperatures range from -24 to 15 degrees Fahrenheit. It is painful for these dogs to be in the intense cold. Some kennels have few employees, so that each dog gets little attention. Mushers believe in " culling " or killing unwanted dogs. Dogs who are permanently disabled in the Iditarod, or who are unwanted for any reason, are killed with a shot to the head. Please do not sponsor programs that promote this cruel race or make light of the suffering the dogs endure. Sincerely, Contact Information: Michael Eisner, Chmn and CEO The Walt Disney Company 500 S. Buena Vista St. Burbank, CA 91521-9722 Phone: 818-560-1000 Fax: 818-560-1930 Email message box: http://disney.go.com/DisneyWorld/index2.html (Click " email " at the bottom then select " Investor Relations. " Ralph Larsen, Chmn./CEO Johnson & Johnson (Makers of Neutrogena, Roc, Mylanta, etc.) One Johnson & Johnson Plaza New Brunswick, NJ 08933 Phone: (732) 524-0400 Fax: (732) 214-0332 Email message box: http://www.jnj.com/feedback/investor_info.html Brian K. Devine - Chairman PETCO Animal Supplies, Inc. 9125 Rehco Road San Diego, CA 92121 Phone: (858) 453-7845 Fax: (858) 453-6585 Email: investor John F. Smith, CEO General Motors Corporation 100 Renaissance Center Detroit, MI 48243 Phone: 313-556-5000 Fax: 313-556-5108 Email message box: http://www.gm.com/tools/feedback.html Jeff Bezos, CEO Pets.Com/Amazon.Com 1200 12th Ave. South, Ste. 1200 Seattle, WA 98144-2734 Phone: 206-266-1000 Fax: 206-266-4206 Email: ir Zan Guerry, CEO Chattem, Inc. (Makers of Dexatrim, Gold Bond Foot Powder, etc.) 1715 W. 38th St. Chattanooga, TN 37409 800-366-6077 (toll free) Fax: 423-821-0395 Email: gary.galante Chris T. Sullivan, CEO Outback Steakhouse 550 N. Reo St., Ste. 200 Tampa, FL 33609-1209 Phone: 813-282-1225 Fax: 813-282-1209 Email message box: http://www.outback.com/html/email/contact.htm Alan Citron, CEO Ticketmaster Online-CitySearch, Inc. 790 E. Colorado Blvd., Ste. 200 Pasadena, CA 91101 Phone: 626-405-0050 Fax: 626-405-9929 Email: info GoRVing Email message box at bottom of page: http://www.gorving.com/newsroom/orderform.cfm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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