Although the Iditarod race teams came through the 1,000-mile race without fatalities, sled-dog racing continues to be surrounded by controversy.

A report in the Globe and Mail suggests that discussion of sled dogs may heat up again soon when British Columbia announces the policy changes that the province is adopting in response to the killing of 100 dogs in Whistler last year.

The controversy over dog sledding has recently escalated as people wait for the publication of the investigation report and the provincial government’s response. The Animal Liberation Front claims responsibility for painting the offices of Outdoor Adventures in Vancouver, B.C., with red paint on 29 March, according to UPI.

The task force investigating the killings submitted its report to the government of British Columbia, also on 25 March.  Although the report has not been published, the Toronto Sun reported that it will recommend that healthy animals not be killed. If this is the position of the task force, it is a move away from the notion that sled dogs may be disposed of as property. However, the more recent report in the Globe and Mail suggests that shooting dogs will still be allowable under the new anti-cruelty law.

As the government deliberates about its response to the Whistler incident, news is circulating that Outdoor Adventures, the company that is under investigation, is asking for help to place another 35 dogs in new homes now. The call to help went out on Pet Connection on 25 March (Whistler radio station News 1130 reported this locally).

As for life on the trail for sled dogs, veterinarians have found a treatment for the digestive distress that racing dogs face in long races like the Iditarod, the Los Angeles Times reported. However, animal rights activists and animal welfare supporters continue to question the care of dogs during their working lives in racing teams and tourism operations. Even when dogs are well cared for by racers and tour operators, their fate at retirement presents thorny questions.

While we wait for further developments about the incident in Whistler and possible new rules on the treatment of sled dogs in British Columbia, the Anipal Times concludes our series on sled dogs with a look at life for the dogs after retirement.

The Best of Sled Dog Retirement

Musher Karen Ramstead, of North Wapiti Kennels, has a dog development plan that eases champion racers into retirement. When the racers get older and slower, she puts them to work training the puppy teams. Puppies are slower than mature racing teams, and the older dogs teach them how to work as a team and how to deal with the challenges of the trail.

When it’s time for a dog to retire fully, North Wapiti Kennel has what Ramstead calls a Geriatric Park where the dogs continue to live with their pack. Retirees and team members who have gone over the rainbow bridge also figure highly on Ramstead’s website.

Ramstead also tells the story of her efforts to give her best buddy Grover what she imagined to be a cushy retirement for him, in the house. First, Grover drove the puppies really hard. He didn’t want to let them take breaks even, so he could prove that he still belonged on the racing team. Then, Ramstead tried to move him into the house with her human family, but he pined for his teammates.

“The only way we could get him to eat was to take him to his dog house,” she said. “Where he wanted to be fed was with his teammates.” Although she really wanted to have Grover with her all the time, she had to acknowledge his preference to stay with his dog pack.

Rescue and Rehoming

Ramstead and her dogs offer an example that shows the bonds between the musher and the canine team members is deep. Ramstead makes a puppy pad to grave commitment to her sled dogs. But as we saw with the Whistler incident, life isn’t always as secure for sled dogs.

Carol Kleckner of Second Chance League in Fairbanks, Alaska, said, “I do want to go on record saying that there are MANY wonderful mushers. People that love their dogs and take good care of them. And people that love their dogs, feed them better than they eat themselves. But, many people will not keep a dog past its working life.

“The sled dog in Alaska is pretty much a farm animal.  People can say they love their dogs, they can treat them well and feed them the best food. But when the dog stops working, gets injured to just gets too old to pull sleds then I would say the majority of mushers kill the dog. They really aren’t companion animals.”

Alaska has a substantial problem dealing with sled dogs whose guardians do not make it as professional mushers or as tour operators. People don’t always know what they are getting into and don’t always have adequate resources to care for a large number of dogs. Sometimes dogs run into trouble just because the humans lose interest in the sport.

“There are many mushers in Alaska that get into the sport and don’t have a clue,” Kleckner said. “Or they get bored, or they breed too many dogs, then care goes down, they stop running the dogs and just don’t give them much attention.”

“We do have a bad problem in Alaska with starving dogs, bad care and inhumane treatment,” Kleckner said. “Our laws for animal cruelty are almost nonexistent. And this land is so huge, that people can almost hide in the woods with their emaciated team and no one would ever know.”

Also because Alaska is also sparsely populated, rescuers have trouble finding homes for all of the redundant sled dogs.

A quick Google search finds rescue organizations specializing in sled dogs in Canada, in every U.S. state where dog sledding is popular and even in some that are too far south to have an active sledding season. Second Chance is one of several rescue organizations in Alaska, where dog sledding is most active in the United States. Kleckner and her colleagues at Second Chance Leauge work to socialize dogs for rehoming and also make careful matches of dogs with humans whose lifestyle will best match the needs of high energy dogs.

“ The sled dog makes an excellent pet. But, they do need a job,” Kleckner said. “They love to run. We always stress to people that adopt an SCL dog, that these dogs need exercise. Sometimes it doesn’t take much! An hour run each day will usually make an ex-sled dog very happy. We try to adopt the dogs out to very active people. Running, biking, skiing, hiking, anything they can do with the dog.”

Some sled dogs, however, do enjoy a lazy retirement, Klecker added. “There are many huskies that adapt happily to a house dog. Walks around the block or playing a good game of ball keeps them happy. We have many indoor huskies and they love the house, are easily housebroken and are a dog that generally gets along with other dogs.”

Photos by Jim Rettig and Yukon White Light used under Creative Commons license.

Tagged as: Iditarod, Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, sled dog