The Iditarod Can Disappear in Our Lifetime

When you’re an abolitionist in 2007, you’re not going to see the fruits of your labor in your lifetime for most uses of animals. However, I do think that there are animal uses and abuses that we can conquer in the next couple of decades. Among them are the Iditarod and the Yukon Quest. Actually, the Iditarod might be easier to quash because:

• it involves more money
• and where there’s more money there are more sponsors
• and where there are more sponsors there are more opportunities to boycott
• and boycotts provide powerful incentive to change sponsorship policies.

The kind folks at the Sled Dog Action Coalition sent me a sample letter and a list of Iditarod sponsors and supporters (among them I was shocked to see PBS, the Women’s Sports Foundation, and several primary and middle schools). Musher sponsors include Eukanuba/Iams (not surprising) and Nutro Products (surprising). A museum is even in the mix (WTF?)

This is a battle we can win, and it deserves some time and energy. It’s only once a year, and now’s the time to pressure sponsors and endorsers. Here’s the letter and the contacts. I suggest e-mailing the companies you do business with, support, or are otherwise fond of, perhaps for the services or products they offer. Sending identical e-mails to a ton of people isn’t as meaningful as a dozen or two well-chosen companies that get customized letters.

———–
Dear Iditarod Supporter:

I protest your organization’s support of the Iditarod dog sled race. For the dogs, this barbaric event is a bottomless pit of suffering. What happens to them during the Iditarod includes death, paralysis, penile frostbite, bleeding ulcers, bloody diarrhea, lung damage, ruptured discs, viral diseases and pneumonia. Please end your involvement in this cruel race.

In the Iditarod, dogs are forced to run 1,150 miles, which is the approximate distance between Miami, Florida and New York City. USA Today sports columnist Jon Saraceno called the Iditarod "a travesty of grueling proportions" and "Ihurtadog." Fox sportscaster Jim Rome called it "I-killed-a-dog." Orlando Sentinel sports columnist George Diaz said the race is "a barbaric ritual" and "an illegal sweatshop for dogs."

Please visit the Sled Dog Action Coalition website http://www.helpsleddogs.org  and be sure to read the quotes on http://www.helpsleddogs.org/remarks.htm . All the material on the site is true and verifiable.

Throughout this eight to 16-day competition, Iditarod personnel encourage mushers to race diseased dogs. Instead of pulling sick dogs from the race, veterinarians frequently give them massive doses of antibiotics to keep them running.

Veterinarians also work to help the mushers before the Iditarod begins. Although the dogs are often sick, veterinarians allow them to start the race anyway. One chief Iditarod veterinarian even published a musher/veterinary handbook advising mushers on how to avoid having prohibited substances detected in pre-race veterinary checks.

At least 130 dogs have died in the Iditarod. No one knows how many dogs die after this tortuous ordeal or during training.

On average, 52 percent of the dogs who start the race do not make it across the finish line. According to a report published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, of those who do cross, 81 percent have lung damage. A report published in the Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine said that 61 percent of the dogs who finish the Iditarod have ulcers versus zero percent pre-race.

Tom Classen, retired Air Force colonel and Alaskan resident for over 40 years, tells us that the dogs are beaten into submission:

"They’ve had the hell beaten out of them." "You don’t just whisper into their ears, ‘OK, stand there until I tell you to run like the devil.’ They understand one thing: a beating. These dogs are beaten into submission the same way elephants are trained for a circus. The mushers will deny it. And you know what? They are all lying." -USA Today, March 3, 2000 in Jon Saraceno’s column.

Mushers believe in "culling" or killing unwanted dogs, including puppies. Many dogs who are permanently disabled in the Iditarod, or who are unwanted for any reason, including those who have outlived their usefulness, are killed with a shot to the head, dragged or clubbed to death. "Dogs are clubbed with baseball bats and if they don’t pull are dragged to death in harnesses….." wrote Alaskan Mike Cranford in an article for Alaska’s Bush Blade Newspaper (March, 2000).

Jon Saraceno wrote in his March 3, 2000 column in USA Today, "He [Colonel Tom Classen] confirmed dog beatings and far worse. Like starving dogs to maintain their most advantageous racing weight. Skinning them to make mittens. Or dragging them to their death."

Please end your organization’s association with this horrific race.

Sincerely,

Someone who doesn’t believe in the senseless torture of dogs (okay, the letter doesn’t say that)

IDITAROD SPONSORS:

Cabelas
Email: Christopher.Gay@cabelas.com

Daimler Chrysler
Email: ir.dcx@daimlerchrysler.com

Coca-Cola
Email: tmattia@na.ko.com

Millennium & Copthorne Hotels
Email: mhrmarketing@mhrmail.com

Wells Fargo & Company
Email: corpcsf@wellsfargo.com

Kroger Company (Fred Meyer Stores)
Email: kroger.investors@kroger.com

Spenard Builders (Lanoga Corporation)
Email: ssolomon@dixieline.com

Chevron Corportation
Email: pubaffmr@chevrontexaco.com

Exxon Mobil Corporation
Email: enterprise.comments@exxonmobil.com

Anchorage Daily News (Mc Clatchy Company)
Email: gpruitt@mcclatchy.com

Providence Health System
Email: employment@providence.org

Alaska Airlines (Alaska Air Group)
Email: newsroom@alaskaair.com

Peninsula Airways, Inc. (Pen Air)
Email: info@penair.com

Alaska Brewing Company
Email: fhees@alaskanbeer.com

The City of Anchorage
Email: Mayor@ci.anchorage.ak.us

The City of Nome
Email: manager@ci.nome.ak.us

5th Avenue Mall (Simon Property Group)
Email: ircontact@simon.com

Horizon Lines
Email: investor.relations@horizonlines.com

City of Wasilla
Email: mayor@ci.wasilla.ak.us

Network Appliance, Inc.
Email: investor_relations@netapp.com

General Communication, Inc. (GCI)
Email: jlowber@gci.com

IDITAROD PROMOTERS:

NBC Universal (GE -General Electric Company owns 80%)
Email: jeff.immelt@corporate.ge.com, dan.janki@corporate.ge.com

NBC Universal (Vivendi – owns 20%)
Email: Jacques.espinasse@vivendi.com

Glamour Magazine (Conde Nast Publications – Advance Publications)
Email: maurie_perl@advancemags.com, John_Bellando@condenast.com

NPR (National Public Radio)
Email kklose@npr.org

Houghton Mifflin Company
Email: investor_relations@hmco.com <mailto:investor_relations@hmco.com%20> 

American Way Magazine -American Airlines (AMR Corporaton)
Email: editor@americanwaymag.com, tom.horton@aa.com

Travel Channel (Discover Communications, Inc.)
Email: roger_millay@discovery.com

Elderhostel 
Email: ann.simanis@elderhostel.org

Living on Earth
Email: stevecurwood@loe.org

Lilly Oncology (Eli Lilly and Company)
Email: vanmarterch@lilly.com

PBS Nature
Email: programming@thirteen.org

PBS Reading Rainbow
Email: gpn@unl.edu <mailto:gpn@unl.edu%20> , dmcpherson@wned.org

PBS TeacherSource
Email: teachersource@pbs.org

Cruise West
Email: media@cruisewest.com

Playroom Entertainment, Inc.
Email: tony@playrooment.com

Riverboat Discovery
Email: orders@riverboatdiscovery.com

Women’s Sports Foundation
Email: info@womenssportsfoundation.org

TIME for Kids
Email: eileen_masio@timeinc.com

Holland America Line (Carnival Corporation)
Email: skruse@hollandamerica.com, abuckelew@carnival.com

Scholastic Corporation
Email: investor_relations@scholastic.com

Workman Publishing Company
Email: info@workman.com

Girl Scouts of the USA
Email: communications@girlscouts.org

Morton Arboretum
Email: gdonnelly@mortonarb.org, gtedesco@mortonarb.org

STIHL (STIHL Group)
Email: public.relations@stihl.us, stefan.caspari@stihl.de

Hawaiian Vacations
Email: guestservices@hawaiianvacations.com

University of Alaska Anchorage
Email: Chancellor@uaa.alaska.edu

Fodors (Random House)
Email: POlson@randomhouse.com

Carolina Day School
Email: bsgro@cdschool.org

Christ Lutheran School
Email: jschrank@cclphoenix.org

North Side Middle School
Email: mmow@elkhart.k12.in.us

Florida Commissioner of Education
Email: Commissioner@fldoe.org

State Farm Insurance Company
Email: home.pa-newsroom.168d00@statefarm.com

ConocoPhillips
Email: rich.johnson@conocophillips.com

Sarah Palin, Governor of Alaska
Email: sarah_palin@gov.state.ak.us

Versus Cable TV
Email: feedback@versus.com

IDITAROD BUSINESS PARTNERS:

Alaska Timberwolf Journeys & Tours
Email: t-wolf@alaskatimberwolftours.com

Grand View Inn & Suites
Email: info@alaskagrandview.com

Alaska Kayak Academy
Email: info@alaskakayakacademy.com

Alaska Native Arts Foundation
Email: info@alaskanativearts.org

Alaska Vacation Store
Email: info@alaskavacationstore.com

Alaska Discovery RV Tours
Email: spikealaska@earthlink.net

Alaska Splendor Limousines
Email: alaskansplendor@yahoo.com

Fishtale River Guides
Email: fish@fish4salmon.com

Litzen Guide Service
Email: mlitzen@kenai.net

Outer Limits Alaska
Email: info@outerlimitsalaska.com

Talkeetna Air Taxi
Email: info@talkeetnaair.com

David Totten’s Online Gallery
Email: wildart@davidtotten.com

MUSHER SPONSORS:

Marsh (Marsh & McLennan Companies)
Email: alfred.j.modugno@marsh.com <mailto:alfred.j.modugno@marsh.com%20> , alan.w.bieler@marsh.com

Nutro Products, Inc.
Email: dkravis@nutroproducts.com, mcarr@nutroproducts.com

7-UP (Cadbury Schweppes plc)
Email: ken.hanna@csplc.com, csab.media@cs-americas.com

Equitable Life & Casualty Insurance Company
Email: rod.ross@equilife.com

Energizer Batteries
Email: DanielJ.Sescleifer@energizer.com

Royal Canin (Mars/Masterfoods owns 56 percent of the company)
Email: conso@royal-canin.fr, info@royalcanin.us, contact.nl@masterfoods.com, contact.us@masterfoods.com, askus@masterfoodsusa.com

The Dish Network
Email: press@echostar.com

Jiffy Lube International, Inc. (Shell Oil Company)
Email: ir-newyork@shell.com <mailto:ir-newyork@shell.com%20> 

CELLULARONE (Dobson Communications Corp.)
Email: tjacobs@dobson.net

Eukanuba/Iams (Procter & Gamble Company)
Email: Shareholders.IM@pg.com

Blockbuster Video
Email: karen.raskopf@blockbuster.com

McDonalds Restaurants (McDonald Corporation)
Email: contact.privacy@mcd.com

Taco Bell (Yum! Brands, Inc.)
Email: greg.creed@tacobell.com, yum.investor@yum.com

Ace Hardware
Email: jvenh@acehardware.com

Amerigas (UGI Corporation)
Email: hr1@amerigas.com

Polaris Industries Inc.
Email: tom.tiller@polarisind.com

Sportsman’s Warehouse
Email: cparrott@sportsmanswarehouse.com

Batteries Plus
Email: customersupport@batteriesplus.com

Great Alaskan Bush Company
Email: info@akbushcompany.com <mailto:info@akbushcompany.com%20>

Frontier Flying Service, Inc.
Email: info@frontierflying.com <mailto:info@frontierflying.com%20> 

Trapper’s Creek Smoking Company
Email: info@trapperscreek.com

Meier’s Lake Roadhouse
Email: contact@meierslakeroadhouse.com

Talkeetna Alaskan Lodge
Email: info@talkeetnalodge.com

Alaska Frontier Gardens Bed & Breakfast
Email: innkeeper@alaskafrontiergardens.com

Kantishna Wilderness Trails
Email: rivercabins@doyon.com

Holy Dog Ranch
Email: HolyDogRanch@yahoo.com

Maclaren River Lodge
Email: information@maclarenlodge.com

Gotta Fish Charters
Email: fishing@gottafish-charters.com

Oomingmak
Email: qiviut@gci.net

Kaladi Brothers Coffee Company
Email: sales@kaladi.com

Tracks of Alaska Photography
Email: traxak@alaska.com

Clam Gulch Lodge
Email: gkatsion@kittelson.com

North Slope Restaurant and Saloon
Email:pat@northsloperestaurant.com

Wright Air Service
Email: pilot01@eagle.ptialaska.net <mailto:pilot01@eagle.ptialaska.net%20> 

Alaskan Discovery RV Tours, Ltd.
Email: spikealaska@earthlink.net <mailto:spikealaska@earthlink.net%20> 

Inlet Tower Hotel & Suites
Email: info@inlettower.com <mailto:info@inlettower.com%20> 

Homer Stage Line
Email: hsl@xyz.net <mailto:hsl@xyz.net%20> 

Pasty Factory
Email: allouiz@thepastyfactory.com

Alaska Icefield Expeditions
Email: info@akdogtour.com <mailto:info@akdogtour.com%20> 

Raspberry Island Remote Camps
Email:adventure@raspberryisland.com <mailto:adventure@raspberryisland.com%20> 

University of Minnesota, Duluth, MN
Email: chan@d.umn.edu

Tweed Museum of Art
Email: tma@d.umn.edu

Intervet (Akzo Nobel)
Email: investor.relations@akzonobel.com

Barker-Ewing River Trips
Email: info@barker-ewing.com

Colorado Altitude Training
Email: ryoung@altitudetraining.com

REDCOM Laboratories, Inc.
Email: sales@redcom.com

J. J. Keller & Associates, Inc.
Email: jbilitz@jjkeller.com

bGlobal, Inc.
Email: rodney.bolls@bglobal.us <mailto:rodney.bolls@bglobal.us%20> 

Gartner Lee, Ltd.
Email: toronto@gartnerlee.com

Tram Bars
Email: trambars@trambars.com  <mailto:trambars@trambars.com%20>

Princeton Tec
Email: info@princetontec.com

Trophy Glove Company
Email: trophyglove@lisco.com

Snake River Brewing
Email: brewpub@rmisp.com

Trixsyn (Cogent Solutions Group LLC.)
Email: gsipe@cogentsolutionsgroup.com

The Outfitter
Email: info@outfitterharborsprings.com

ND Industries
Email: info@ndindustries.com

Ursa wagons
Email: sales@ursawagon.com

Great Lakes GeoScience
Email: tchozes@pathwaynet.com

Belleville Recorder
Email: bellevillenews@yahoo.com

World Tang Soo Do Association
Email: admin@wtsda.com

AE Light (Allsman Enterprises, LLC)
Email: hid@aelight.com <mailto:hid@aelight.com%20> 

Western Products
Email: info@westernplows.com <mailto:info@westernplows.com%20> 

PJ Operating Corp.
Email: sales@pjoperating.com

Folkestone Inn Bed & Breakfast Innkeepers
Email: innkeeper@folkestone.com

Hughes Seafood Company, Inc.
Email: hughesseafood@tds.net

Arco Coffee (Andresen-Ryan Coffee Co.)
Email: ruby@arcocoffee.com

Empire Canvas Works
Email: info@empirecanvasworks.com

Macgellan.com <http://macgellan.com/> 
Email: Macgellan@mac.com

Wiggy’s, Inc.
Email: wiggys@wiggys.com

Jupiter Solutions
Email: info@jupitersolutions.net <mailto:info@jupitersolutions.net%20>

Colorado Cross Roads Bed & Breakfast
Email: info@coloradocrossroadsbandb.com

United Railroad Materials
Email: terry@unitedrailroad.net

Krabloonik Kennels
Email: reservations@krabloonik.com

Teamdiel
Email: info@team-diel.de <mailto:info@team-diel.de%20> 

Globetrotter.de <http://globetrotter.de/> 
Email: info@globetrotter.de

Immunocorp
Email: sales@immunocorp.no

Via Scandinavia
Email: post@viascandinavia.no <mailto:post@viascandinavia.no%20> 

Kamik
Email: info@kamik.com

Bynje
Email: post@brynje.no <mailto:post@brynje.no%20> 

Noraid
Email: post@noraid.no

Vi sees
Email: anni@visees.no

Deland Middle School
Email: mkrajews@volusia.k12.fl.us