Iditarod 2008 fatality update

snownose

AgileGSD...have you done the math on the above statement?

My calculations bring me to over 20 hours a day these dogs have to run to cover that distance.......10 long days...... you feel comfortable with that?

  I feel like people should not be so quick to judge what everyone else is doing wrong and trying to change things because they don't suit you. It is more a matter of the musher's being comfortable with it. I personally am not comfortable outdoors in the cold, so I'm not the one to ask. Of course you are openly an AR supporter, the concept of it not being your choice to decide for them may escape you :)

AgileGSD

  I feel like people should not be so quick to judge what everyone else is doing wrong and trying to change things because they don't suit you. It is more a matter of the musher's being comfortable with it. I personally am not comfortable outdoors in the cold, so I'm not the one to ask. Of course you are openly an AR supporter, the concept of it not being your choice to decide for them may escape you :)

Yes, I support animal rights....something wrong with that? That doesn't make me an extremist.....

It is more a matter of the musher's being comfortable with it? You are seriously kidding me...right.....the mushers choose to do the race......the dogs are offered up without choice.....

AgileGSD

  I feel like people should not be so quick to judge what everyone else is doing wrong and trying to change things because they don't suit you.

Well, right back to you.  Why did someone judge the original setup of the dog run as something that needed to be changed and "improved"?

snownose

Yes, I support animal rights....something wrong with that? That doesn't make me an extremist.....

 LOL I'm the wrong person to ask if there is something wrong with supporting AR, as I am as far opposed to AR as someone can get. There is no such thing as supporting AR but not being an extremist. The AR agenda is extreme and openly is out for the end of breeding and at some point, owning animals. If you don't support that goal, you either aren't educated in what AR is or you claim to support it because you have some vague idea that AR groups do good things for animals or maybe it just sounds like a good cause to support. Of course it is your choice to support any movement or group you want but maybe you should look into the cause a bit more? Or do you think that breeding domestic animals should stop and that pets are just like salves?

AgileGSD

snownose

Yes, I support animal rights....something wrong with that? That doesn't make me an extremist.....

 LOL I'm the wrong person to ask if there is something wrong with supporting AR, as I am as far opposed to AR as someone can get. There is no such thing as supporting AR but not being an extremist. The AR agenda is extreme and openly is out for the end of breeding and at some point, owning animals. If you don't support that goal, you either aren't educated in what AR is or you claim to support it because you have some vague idea that AR groups do good things for animals or maybe it just sounds like a good cause to support. Of course it is your choice to support any movement or group you want but maybe you should look into the cause a bit more? Or do you think that breeding domestic animals should stop and that pets are just like salves?

Good grief....LMBO........I rescue and I believe animals should not be abused and used in extreme ways .....I am not against horseback riding, general sports, breeding of domestic animals if done responsibly......or even hunting if done responsibly....so, there you have it......before you put a label on a person you better find out what is really going on....should I automatically assume that you don't care what happens to animals in general even if discomfort or pain is involved?

Admin note..

This thread concerns the Iditarod.  If you'd like to have a debate on the definition and ramifications of animal rights, please start another thread to do so. 

AgileGSD

 LOL I'm the wrong person to ask if there is something wrong with supporting AR, as I am as far opposed to AR as someone can get. There is no such thing as supporting AR but not being an extremist.

So you're an anti-AR extremist, no? Is that somehow better? I haven't seen any AR extremist comments in this thread and it's surprising that even good suggestions make the anti-AR folks feel threatened. I just don't get that.  Maybe if we all consider options that work best for the animals, then everyone will win. Isn't that what's most important?

snownose

Good grief....LMBO........I rescue and I believe animals should not be abused and used in extreme ways .....I am not against horseback riding, general sports, breeding of domestic animals if done responsibly......or even hunting if done responsibly....so, there you have it......before you put a label on a person you better find out what is really going on....should I automatically assume that you don't care what happens to animals in general even if discomfort or pain is involved?

 Than you support Animal Welfare but not Animal Rights, which is often the case. Animal Rights is a specific movement with a specific agenda. You can't be support breeding and hunting and still say you are AR, just like you can't support the right to choose and say you are ProLife.

I think it is plain what snownose has said. 

Nothing wrong with making Iditarod more like the original serum run.

Incidentally, Togo was the dog that did more run than Balto I believe.  Funny that Balto is credited with most of the attention.

dogslife

Nothing wrong with making Iditarod more like the original serum run.

You know that the average run for a team was less than 50 miles.  There were 20 teams involved in the 674 mile relay. 

O by the way dogs died during that run,  I believe that the number was 14.

HI THERE!

Moderator speaking.

I suggest having a look up there for the ADMIN REQUEST, and reading said same, before typing anything further, all.

ETA: This thread was moved, to Advocacy.

timsdat

O by the way dogs died during that run,  I believe that the number was 14.

I seriously doubt that many dogs would die or be injured with today's advancement in canine medicine....but, shorter runs would be easier on the dogs and more rest time after snacking and meal time....

There are differences between now and then. Today's race is not due to the need of a village to get medication and prevent the deaths of many from diptheria.

Today, the purpose of the race is to win and apparently for a lot of money. And there is pride in winning. Hopefully pride in taking excellent care of your team too. When we see teams run around here, I have a lot more respect for those that do rather than those who are slovenly and poor caretakers of these "work dogs".

Wonder how much Seppala recieved for his efforts.  Btw, Togo lived to be about 16 years old.  So, guess he took excellent care of that pup.

dogslife

Today, the purpose of the race is to win and apparently for a lot of money.

How much?

snownose

shorter runs would be easier on the dogs and more rest time after snacking and meal time....

The winner this year spend 67 1/2 hours resting at the 20 checkpoints during the race.  Also if you look at the average speed between checkpoints it is plain to see that they weren't pushing at full speed along every point of the race.  The mushers also rest their dogs on the trail during the race.