4th dog dies during Iditarod race

[Kadie]

4th dog dies during Iditarod race

Friday, March 20, 2009


(03-20) 12:17 PDT NOME, Alaska (AP) --

Another dog has died during the Iditarod race.

A 5-year-old male named Maynard has become the fourth dog to die in the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race.

Iditarod officials say Friday he was on the team of Canadian musher Warren Palfrey. The dog died Thursday about an hour outside of the finish line at Nome, Alaska. A necropsy will be performed.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2009/03/20/sports/s121708D06.DTL&tsp=1




:cry:

[ColbertWatcher]

1. Poor thing. RIP musher. n/t

[BrklynLiberal]

2. I wonder how many dogs will have to perish before they stop this inane, pointless "race".

[cobalt1999]

8. Two people died running the NY marathon this year.

How many people will have to perish before they stop that inane, pointless "race"?

[BrklynLiberal]

9. How much voice do the dogs have in the decision to run in the Idtarod?

I think that is a totally inadequate comparison.

[cobalt1999]

12. Not really.

The dogs aren't whipped into doing it.

They are trained like marathon runners and like any athlete that pushes themselves, sometimes they push too far.

Marathoners who die don't always know they are pushing themselves too far either until it's too late.

The dogs WANT to run and you can't make them do something they don't want to do.

Human runners and dogs sometimes die running much less distances.

[BrklynLiberal]

13. Yes. I am sure there are thousands of dogs that really try to enter the Iditarod

each year, but they are turned away since all the harness spots are filled.

I can only assume that you think the risk a canine police officer assumes is comparable to that of a human police officer.
They both have the same understanding of the potential dangers of the situation and both make rational decisions to do it anyway.


And horses only run races because they love it so much. They would all run around in circles for the hell of it, even if there were no rider on their backs. You just cannot stop those horses from running those races.

[cobalt1999]

14. About half that train for it actually make the cut.

So, yes, many ARE turned away in a manner of speaking.

If you'd like to discuss the dogs training without sounding ignorant read about it and we can continue.

www.ultimateiditarod.com/preparation.htm

[northernlights]

20. actually, if you come visit my back yard

you will occasionally see two arabian horses racing around the pasture at fult tilt for no goddam good reason, like total idiots. Drives me nuts, especially at this time of year when they totally trash their pasture. I bend over backwards trying to care for it and protect it so they'll have plenty of pasture. And then they churn it up every spring and fall galloping around like total idiots.

Thoroughbreds also really do love to run and many will entertain themselves that way.

But although some may slip on ice or mud, none of them push themselves to where they have heart attacks.

Same with the dogs. I have no doubt they love their jobs. But they aren't the ones pushing themselves until they keel over. Their owner/trainers are. And that's wrong.

[riderinthestorm]

33. Actually, horses DO run just because they love it so much.

Any herd of horses that gets started actually do run and run and run until they're tired or one of them falls or even (!) runs into a tree and breaks something. I've owned and operated a 40 horse dressage and combined training competition/boarding barn for 25 years and speak from experience watching the phenomena. It's scary, breathtaking and annoying (as the other poster explained, the turf damage is ridiculous when they get started).

In all my years dealing with 1000's of horses, I can say a few things with certainty:
1. When/if the herd starts running - they RUN and the "leader" of the herd, is the leader and sometimes leads them into doing stupid shit.
2. Sometimes they injure themselves in their efforts. I've had 2 horses die, just running all by themselves. One of them ran into a tree and broke a leg, the other slipped and took a header into a fence post breaking his neck. I've also had one who just took a bad step walking in the paddock and broke his leg. Shit happens.
3. Like the Iditarod dogs, there certainly are horse "athletes" who love, love, love the action. They love to compete. They love the partnership with their human. We've personally owned horses that drag you to the fence and jump it all by themselves. More than a few that took matters into their own hooves and literally jumped a course with a rider hanging on as a passenger, not a pilot. Have you ever seen race horses finish the race after their rider falls off? Sure you have. Even steeplechase horses typically continue jumping and galloping long after their rider falls off. They love the race, love the jump, love the gallop. There's no rider whipping them on - they just do what they are doing.

Unless you've ever trained a "sport" animal, it's impossible to articulate their desire to do what they've been bred to do. Even animals that aren't utilized for sport can be just as passionate about pursuing dangerous, even deadly activities: Jack Russells for example are furious terriors about small things that run (like rats, cats, foxes, badgers, snakes etc.) I've seen them tangle with 30 lb raccoons. I've seen one killed by 2 rats when he got cornered. Shit. Just. Happens.

I don't know shit about Iditarod sled dogs but based upon my experience as a trainer/breeder of 3-Day sport horses, I'd say those dogs died doing exactly what they loved. I'd go even further - at that level, those owners grieve the death of the dog. Without the animal partner, they are/have nothing.

[damntexdem]

15. Sled dogs are bred as such.

Were they to have voices, they would say they wanted to pull a sled. Whether they would want to undergo the rigors of a major race is an open question; but dogs can certainly get into the spirit of competition, and appreciate winning. Just watch the Westminster Dog Show.

What needs to be investigated is whether four deaths is an excessive record for the Iditarod; and if it is, whether such mortality is the result of changes in practices. The issue is whether rules could be adopted that would reduce canine mortality in the race -- and for that matter, reduce canine morbidity in the race.

[ogneopasno]

17. Little to none, because they're dogs. However, they are dogs who like to run and pull.

[Butch350]

19. Don't care bout people personally...

...people have the capability to realize something is stupid and yet still put themselves in JEOPARDY!
Animals are put in dangerous situations by stupid humans.

[BrklynLiberal]

27. Bingo! Exactly...The dogs do not have a compulsion to compete in the race.

They may enjoy running, but for the fun of it....not to compete in a pointless race to win money for some human.
Horses like to run...but not in circles with a person on their back to win money for humans.

[Liberal_in_LA]

3. sad - let the humans pull the sled

[damntexdem]

16. OK, but only if dogs get to ride on the sled.

And they get to lean their heads out and bark all they want, too!

[Liberal_in_LA]

32. lol. Sounds fair to me!

[old mark]

4. For some reason many people on the West Coast think this thing is

wonderful and were angry when I referred to it as the "Idiotride" when I lived there.
There is really no point to this, other than tourism and publicity for Alaska.

mark

[damntexdem]

18. And there's no point to football, basketball, baseball, and so on ...

nor anything else of which you don't approve. So ignore all of it. Meanwhile, those who appreciate such things will find the points in them.

[old mark]

34. Actually, football is great, and baseball is OK. nt

[FudaFuda]

5. If it wasn't shot from a helicopter ...

there are bigger fish to fry. I don't want to see animals abused anymore than anyone else, but this happens to American highschool students every year in late summer before football season starts, too.

[tangent90]

6. I know! It's horrible how those students are tied to a harness and forced to run 1000 miles.

Which is even worse before football season, it's still hot
!!!!!

[FudaFuda]

10. you know what i meant. n/t

[BrklynLiberal]

11. I don't understand. Pls explain how they are comparable.

Are football players compelled to join the team?
Do they have any real understanding of what is involved in playing football?
Are they aware of the risks and potential injuries?

[tangent90]

24. Sure. I have no problem recognizing a failed analogy.

That's what *I* meant...
;-)

[WI_DEM]

7. I'm sure Gov. Palin thinks this is just good, harmless fun--who cares about the dogs

who have to carry the weight of supplies and humans in tough terrain.

[Robb]

21. I am a strong supporter of dog sledding in general

And broadly a supporter of events like Iditarod.

But the past several years have shown appalling gaps in a long-honored system that protects and cherishes these dogs as the world-class athletes and amazing personalities they are. Even with the growth of the race, three and four dog deaths each year is not acceptable -- especially when it seems time and again the dogs die shortly after being checked by vets along the route.

Pattern: musher stops at checkpoint, says dog seems funny, official vet checks out dog, says dog is fine, musher continues, dog dies before next checkpoint.

I won't argue with anyone who believes these dogs don't want to run, because they do. They will gladly run full-tilt until they drop. But the humans around them have the responsibility to make sure they do not overexert themselves. While the vast majority of mushers I have known take that responsibility with a level of seriousness that would impress a new parent, the numbers at Iditarod cannot be denied -- especially when compared to other, if arguably shorter races, where dog deaths almost never happen.

[KittyWampus]

28. Are mushers allowed to have "extra dogs in reserve" placed along the route?

I wonder if that is what should be done.

Or half way through the race, the mushers should be required to change out the entire team regardless.

[butterfly77]

22. Steroids?

[Arugula Latte]

23. I hate rodeos, circuses (that use animals), horse racing, dog racing and this stupid race.

:grr:

[flvegan]

26. As do I.

[Raine]

29. So do I

repulsive exploitation of animals. x(

[LeftyMom]

31. +1

[limit18]

25. Maybe we can work on saving all the animals,

AND all the children being killed in our public schools.

[lame54]

30. Did they get shot from a helicopter?...

It could be Palin creating new jobs for Alaskans