Urge F1’s Owner to Stop Supporting the Deadly Iditarod

Max Verstappen, Lewis Hamilton, and the other daring Formula 1 (F1) drivers race because they love it, earn fabulous sums of money, and retire when they wish to. This is not the case for the poor, often underfed, even beaten dogs used in Alaska’s notorious Iditarod dog-sled race. They are chained up outdoors in the ice and snow between races with almost nothing for shelter and have even been killed when they are injured, sick, or too old to win cash for their mushers.

Formula 1 Racing Is Supporting Cruelty to Animals

The Iditarod has lost nearly all its major sponsors, but F1’s owner, Liberty Media, still has ties to the deadly event: one of its companies, GCI, continues to sponsor the race to the tune of more than $250,000 every year.

Why would F1 want to be associated with cruelty to dogs? We bet most drivers – particularly those with dogs, like Hamilton – would say that it should get out now!

Iditarod, the Deadly Dog-Sled Race

Dogs used in the Iditarod are made to run the approximately 1,000-mile race while pulling heavy sleds through biting winds, blinding snowstorms, and sub-zero temperatures in some of the most gruelling conditions on Earth.

More than 150 dogs have already died during the race, not counting those who perished during the off-season while left chained up outdoors in below-freezing temperatures or those who were killed because they didn’t make the grade. Forcing dogs, humans’ oldest animal companions, to run against their will for our entertainment is a form of speciesism, a human-supremacist worldview.

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Racing should involve only willing human participants. Please politely ask F1’s owner to stop supporting the cruel Iditarod.

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Duncan

Llowarch

Formula One Management Ltd

Dear Mr Llowarch:

I was deeply upset to learn of Formula 1’s connection to Alaska’s notoriously cruel and deadly Iditarod dog-sled race. F1’s owner, Liberty Media, refuses to cut ties with the event: its company GCI is one of the few remaining major sponsors.

The Iditarod forces dogs to run about 1,000 miles while pulling a heavy sled in some of the most gruelling conditions on Earth. More than 150 dogs have died since the race began, not even counting those who perished during the off-season or were killed because they weren’t fast or fit enough. Every year, hundreds of dogs are pulled off the trail because they’re ill, injured, or too exhausted to go on, leaving the rest to be worked even harder.

When they’re not racing, the dogs spend their lives chained to dilapidated boxes or plastic barrels outdoors in below-freezing temperatures, denied any companionship – even the ability to socialise with another dog.

F1 is all about athletes pushing themselves to the limit, but there’s no sportsmanship in forcing dogs to pull a sled until they collapse from exhaustion or die after developing aspiration pneumonia from inhaling their own vomit – the leading cause of death for dogs in the Iditarod. Major sponsors such as ExxonMobil, Alaska Airlines, Coca-Cola, and Wells Fargo, along with dozens of others, have already ended their support of this cruel race.

Please help ensure that Liberty Media cuts ties with the Iditarod, as being associated with cruelty to dogs is not a good look for any company.

Sincerely,

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Urge F1’s Owner to Stop Supporting the Deadly Iditarod

Formula 1 Racing Is Supporting Cruelty to Animals

Iditarod, the Deadly Dog-Sled Race

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Thank You for Urging F1 to Disconnect From Deadly Dog-Sled Race