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'How many more dogs need to die?': 3rd death in Alaska's 1,000-mile Iditarod race

James Powel, USA TODAY
·2 min read
8

A dog died during the Iditarod sled dog race in Alaska on Tuesday, becoming the third canine death of the event and drawing criticism from animal lovers.

Henry, a 3-year-old male on the team of musher Calvin Daugherty, collapsed 10 miles before the Shaktoolik checkpoint, according to the Iditarod Trail Committee.

"How many more dogs need to die before this stops? Dogs’ lives are worth more than this," People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman said in a statement.

Here's what you need to know about the controversy at this year's event.

Dogs are pictured running Alaska's Iditarod race. The dogs pictured are not the ones in this story.
Dogs are pictured running Alaska's Iditarod race. The dogs pictured are not the ones in this story.

2 dogs died in the Iditarod over the weekend

Two dogs died over the weekend, causing critics to call for the event to be shut down.

Bog − a 2-year-old male on the team of musher Isaac Teaford − and George − a 4-year-old male on the team of musher Hunter Keefe − collapsed on the trail Sunday.

Race officials said in press releases that necropsies will be performed on all three animals. All three mushers withdrew from the race after the deaths, as required by race rules.

The last dog to die in a race before this year was Oshi, a 5-year-old female on musher Richie Beattie’s team, in 2019, according to the Associated Press.

The Iditarod Trail Committee did not respond to USA TODAY's request for comment on Tuesday.

PETA calls for Iditarod to end

PETA has repeatedly called for the race to be shut down and staged a protest at pre-race festivities in Anchorage.

“The death count keeps climbing for dogs who are forced to run until their bodies break down, all so the human winner can get a trophy while the dogs get an icy grave,” PETA Senior Vice President Colleen O’Brien said in a statement after Bog's death. “PETA is calling for this despicable race to end.”

PETA has claimed that 150 dogs have died since the race began in 1973 though race organizers have not provided an official count.

PETA has also called for the removal of musher Dallas Seavey, who the organization alleges delayed care for a dog after it was injured in an encounter with a moose. Seavey was given a two-hour time penalty for not properly gutting the moose after he killed it.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Iditarod deaths: 3rd dog collapses, dies in Alaska's 1,000-mile race