od trail. Aliy has a GPS tracking system on her sled and we can locate her 10 miles outside of Cripple, Alaska. She has been running her dogs through the night due to the very warm temperatures in this year's race. Allen is in Takotna, and appears to be taking one of his mandatory breaks. Allen has dropped several dogs due to the heat.The question often comes up whether sled dogs are being mistreated. 
Certainly whenever you put people and animals together there are cases of abuse and mistreatment. That is as true of the Westminster Dog Show as it is of the Iditarod. One must remember that Alaska sled dogs are bred to run. They are usually part wolf. It is not uncommon for a wolf in the wild to cover 100 miles in a day. According to wolf expert and biologist Mark McNay wolves in the wild often have a difficult life. They struggle every day to find food, often injuring themselves in the process. I read an article by McNay in which he stated that he rarely comes across an adult wolf that doesn't have some broken ribs from being kicked by a moose. By comparison, Alaska sled dogs lead longer, healthier lives. Yes, some sled dogs die or are injured on the trail. If those same animals were in the Alaska wild, they would probably have a much higher death rate.
Certainly whenever you put people and animals together there are cases of abuse and mistreatment. That is as true of the Westminster Dog Show as it is of the Iditarod. One must remember that Alaska sled dogs are bred to run. They are usually part wolf. It is not uncommon for a wolf in the wild to cover 100 miles in a day. According to wolf expert and biologist Mark McNay wolves in the wild often have a difficult life. They struggle every day to find food, often injuring themselves in the process. I read an article by McNay in which he stated that he rarely comes across an adult wolf that doesn't have some broken ribs from being kicked by a moose. By comparison, Alaska sled dogs lead longer, healthier lives. Yes, some sled dogs die or are injured on the trail. If those same animals were in the Alaska wild, they would probably have a much higher death rate.
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