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.
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…
