Are Dog Sledding Races Like the Iditarod Ethical?

Dog sledding is a popular sport in certain areas of the world, and it involves training a team of dogs to work together while traveling over some very unforgiving terrain, pulling a sled and human rider behind them while they run at a breakneck pace.

These sledding excursions also require quite a bit of snow, which means these pups are typically exposed to the elements while they're working overtime to take their cargo from one location to another.

But, while races like these have been around for decades, many people have begun to question whether or not dog sledding is ethical thanks to the way the animals at treated — both on and off the raceway.

That, coupled with the fact that many dogs have been injured — and some have even died — while competing has caused many people to believe that these races should probably be retired.

Keep reading to learn more about the ethics of dog sledding.

While fans of the industry will tell you that the dogs involved in these activities are treated with the utmost care, the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) says otherwise. The organization claims that the dogs are subjected to inhumane conditions, which PETA compares to forcing someone to run four marathon-like races in a single day.

And when the dogs aren't running through the freezing temperatures and snowy tundra, life isn't exactly relaxing.

PETA says that these animals are often kept in crowded kennels with other racing dogs, and given just a small amount of room to move around. As for shelters, they are typically offered the very minimum to keep them used to the conditions they will face during their races, which often cause them to be out in the elements for hours to days at a time.

The Iditarod may be one of the more famous dog sledding races around. The event takes place over a 1,000-mile area in Alaska, which began on the Iditarod Trail back in 1973.

Since then, the race has been held annually, according to the Iditarod's website, and has been done so in an attempt to preserve the existence of Alaskan huskies, which the website says are slowly disappearing thanks to new technologies that don't require the dogs to transport goods from Seward and Nome.

But, it's those very Alaskan huskies, and other dogs like them, that seem to be most at risk during what has been dubbed the "Last Great Race" because so many of them have been killed during the grueling run.

According to ABC News, 150 dogs have died while taking part in the race. That has prompted activists to call for an end to the run in the hopes that stopping the Iditarod will prevent further needless deaths and injuries.

PETA reps tell ABC News that the number one cause of death for these dogs is aspiration pneumonia, which is something that happens when a dog inhales their vomit.

And, death isn't the only thing facing these dogs either. They frequently develop stomach ulcers as a result of these marathon runs, and many of them require preventative medication to avoid the painful stomach complication.

While it seems like there are many who support the race and believe that the animals are well cared for, it looks like the popularity of the event is fading. ABC News notes that traditionally, 50 "mushers" will show up with their dogs and register for the race. In recent years, those numbers have seen a steady decline, and only 33 people will take part in the 2025 race, which is expected to run from Mar. 1, 2025, to Mar. 11, 2025.

Hopefully the dogs that take part in this year's race will have a better time than last year's runners.

ABC News says that of the 603 dogs that began the race, only 293 finished, and three of the dogs sadly died, highlighting just how hard and dangerous the Iditarod can be on the four-legged competitors.