Sled Dog Watchdog: Yukon Quest

Mushers kissing their dogs in numerous 'photo-ops'; excited, 'happy-looking' dogs with lolling tongues
(the Quest prefers that they are referred to as 'athletes'); the ice-encrusted facial hair of mushers: these
are some of the images that the Yukon Quest (and its 'big brother,' Alaska's Iditarod race) sell to the
public as testimony of the toughness of dog mushers, and the so-called 'special bond' between the
musher and his or her dogs. The more realistic images to consider are those of the dogs being driven
in unbelievably-cold weather, breathing freezing air (thereby damaging their lungs and airways); dogs
being literally driven to their deaths (about 130 dogs have died in the Iditarod - since its inception, the
Yukon Quest is responsible for killing many dogs during the race - although the Quest has an 'expired
dog' policy on its website, there are no statistics on dog deaths and causes of death, or the names of
the dogs); dogs being injured, or being made to run while injured or with serious illness; dogs that are
driven hard for over a hundred miles a day and for long hours at a stretch.

Unknown numbers of dogs die during training (a young Yukon Quest musher had three dogs die
horribly, in a collision with an automobile in December of 2005 - the musher admitted to CBC Radio
that she was driving at night without her headlamp while training for the 2006 Quest), and after the
race is over. Are the Yukon Quest mushers brave? Of course there is an element of this in the psyche
of the mushers, but there is an equal or greater amount of recklessness as a motivating factor in why
they are driven to compete in this race. This recklessness endangers the health and lives of dogs.

Competitive mushers engage in breeding experimentation to develop 'the perfect athlete,' with few
dogs who can live up to the near-unattainable genetic standards; mushers are secretive about their
culling practices, and Yukon Quest organizers seem to have a "don't ask-don't tell (don't care)" policy.
The dogs, when not racing or training, are tied up on short chains for long periods of time. In large
kennels, only the 'top dogs' may receive regular attention and human contact. On the rare occasion that
the Quest is criticized, no public or other response is given, even though the major funding for the race
comes from public (government) sources.

Quest mushers have long complained about the comparably smaller prize money and its distribution
among the finishers, in comparison to the Iditarod. What is not mentioned, however is the fact that
racing in the Yukon Quest serves as powerful advertising for mushers who can use that distinction as a
promotional tool for their dog sled tour businesses, for selling dogs and puppies from their kennels, or
for other sled dog-related commercial ventures.

Little information about negative aspects regarding the health of Yukon Quest dogs has been published.
However, in 2002, a study in the in American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine
reported that 81% of the 59 dogs they examined after one Iditarod had "abnormal accumulations" of
mucus or cellular debris in their lower airways. In addition to fluid in the lungs, bleeding stomach
ulcers occur, as does general cramping, dislocations, fractures, muscle and tendon tears, tendonitis,
dehydration, hypothermia, raw paws, penile frostbite and viruses. Female dogs may run while 'in heat'
or during pregnancy; it is common for dogs to vomit or suffer from diarrhea from the extreme stress
(including from their body temperatures overheating) they are forced to undergo, while running long
distances.

Another important negative aspect to consider it that the existence of the Quest encourages ill-prepared
and ill-suited prospective mushers to develop their own kennels for purposes of competing in the race,
causing more suffering to innocent dogs. Yukon Quest and Iditarod mushers do not deserve to be held
up as 'role models' for young mushers because of their overall treatment of dogs during the races and
throughout the rest of the year. A famous female Iditarod musher stated that she had "raised 300 dogs
to get five good ones." There are a lot of terrible things that happen out of the public eye which bring
harm to sled dogs that would turn the average dog lover off of supporting these events.

The policy that SleddogWatchdog.com observes in respect to the Yukon Quest is that of the Humane
Society of the United States:

"The HSUS opposes the Iditarod in its current form - or any other mushing event in which
heavy emphasis is placed on competition and entertainment and in which dog deaths and
injuries are regular consequences. The HSUS is NOT OPPOSED to non-competitive
mushing or competitive mushing events in which the welfare of dogs is not sacrificed for
the sake of entertainment."

Races like the Iditarod and Yukon Quest violate accepted standards regarding animal cruelty as is
shown by the laws of 38 states and the District of Columbia. These 38 states and the District of
Columbia have animal anti-cruelty laws that say "overdriving" and "overworking" an animal is animal
cruelty. The California law is typical:

"597. Cruelty to animals: (B) Every person who overdrives, overloads, drives when overloaded,
overworks... any animal... is, for every such offense, guilty of a crime punishable as a misdemeanor or
as a felony or alternatively punishable as a misdemeanor or a felony and by a fine of not more than
twenty thousand dollars ($20,000)."

[Source: Animal Welfare Institute, Animals and Their Legal Rights]

The dog deaths and injuries that occur in the Yukon Quest and Iditarod serve as ample testimony that
these dogs are "overworked" and "overdriven." If these races were staged in any of these 38 states or
the District of Columbia, they would be illegal under the animal cruelty laws of those jurisdictions.

The Yukon's Animal Protection Act (Section 1-definitions) defines "distress" as the state
of

(a) being in need of proper care, food, shelter, or water; (b) being injured, sick or in pain or suffering,
or (c) being abused or subject to undue or necessary hardship, privation or neglect.

While a good argument could be made that the state of some mushers' dog yards (completely
unregulated and not subject to inspection by animal protection officers) in the Yukon would contravene
subsection (a), the running of the Yukon Quest would most definitely contravene both subsections (b)
and (c). Furthermore, in Section 3 of the act (Prohibition against causing or permitting distress), no
person shall:

(1) cause an animal to be or to continue to be in distress; or (2) no person who is the owner or the
person in charge of an animal shall permit the animal to be or continue to be in distress.

In subsection (3), the Yukon legislation seems to give sanction to cruel events like the Quest by stating
that: "Subsections (1) and (2) do not apply if the distress results from an activity carried on in
accordance with reasonable and generally accepted practices of animal management, husbandry or
slaughter provided that these practices are carried out in a humane manner." The Yukon Quest
organization may feel safe with this disclaimer, but when it comes to future dog deaths, injuries, or acts
of animal cruelty perpetrated by Quest mushers, board members of the Yukon Quest should not 'bet
the farm on it,' were the legislation to be tested in a court of law.

When it comes to sled dogs, there is something amiss in Yukon/Alaskan society - a society that is
alternately blindly enthusiastic about the Quest, or is simply willfully ignorant and uncaring that the
race inflicts suffering on the dogs, and, to some people, thereby brings disrepute to the name 'Yukon.'
Were citizens of the Yukon and Alaska to take the time to think of what they are supporting when they
support the Yukon Quest (and the Iditarod), they would come to a realization that they are, in fact,
condoning animal cruelty.

[Ed. Note - In my personal experience, I perceive that a common attitude among people who I know to
be dog lovers hold toward Yukon Quest dogs (or sled dogs in general) is that they do not feel that
these dogs are 'normal dogs' like their own canine companions - they are WORKING DOGS and
therefore do not deserve the same compassion and level of care afforded to their beloved animals. The
fact is that Yukon Quest sled dogs are primarily bred by mushers for the cold-hearted purposes of
winning money and for gaining the adulation of sled dog racing fans.]

The Yukon Quest is well-entrenched in Yukon society. From young children being indoctrinated into
becoming Yukon Quest supporters by their school teachers, to the support provided by Yukon
politicians, Yukon media, the territorial government, prominent members of the community and
business leaders, the 'deck is stacked' against the likelihood of improving the lives of sled dogs.

Humane-minded individuals and businesses (let alone the various levels of government) in the Yukon
should not support the Yukon Quest, in its current form. Their financial support and volunteer time
would be better directed towards helping their local animal shelters, actively working to improve the
state of animal welfare in Yukon communities, or being applied to other (more deserving) charitable
organizations.

YUKON QUEST CAMPAIGN (Developed by the Yukon Quest)

Goal:
Successfully market the annual sled dog race as an icon event to a global audience.

Objectives:
-Increase the number of participants in the 2006 Yukon Quest.
- Generate at least $50,000 in equivalent advertising value through an international media relations
program.
- Increase the sponsorship by 20 per cent.
- Increase the total prize purse by at least 30 per cent by 2007.

Tactics:
[Consumer]
Develop and promote the Yukon Quest brand.
- Secure and expand Yukon Quest intellectual property globally.
- Increase year-round Yukon Quest presence locally and internationally.
- Produce and/or promote Yukon Quest branded information, merchandise and third party products.
- Develop and increase supporter affinity to benefit Yukon Quest and Official Sponsors.

[Media]
Achieve increased awareness through an active Yukon Quest Media Program
- Provide high-quality information and services for media throughout the year.
- Utilize media distribution services to expand reach of Yukon Quest messages.
- Improve pre-race media solicitation and education to achieve maximum race-time coverage.
- Enhance Yukon Quest web site and promotions to increase visitation, visitor retention and
engagement.
- Begin process to achieve heritage designation for the Yukon Quest Trail Partnerships.
- Increase revenues through improved sponsorship solicitation and recognition:
- Develop research-based, professional-quality sponsorship solicitation plan and materials.
- Increase sponsorship benefits value through improved media exposure, VIP opportunities and
year-round Yukon Quest presence.
- Actively solicit targeted, long-term potential sponsors

Performance Measures:
- Number of race participants
- Equivalent advertising value of media coverage
- Level of sponsorship
- Level of purse

Source:
Tourism Marketing Plan 2005/2006
April 1, 2005
Adventure Program (North America)
TourYukon.org