Originally posted by Shantidog
There whould be no ifs....ands or buts........we should not be supporting the exceptions....if you support any sport where a dog or animal is hurt maimend or killed...YOU.....YOU are suppporting animal abuse...I am sorry but there are no exceptions, they are either abused or they are not....and these animals are abused. I wish you people would stop comparing the Iditarod to one little group of pets that are not abused.....please take them out of this we are not talking about them....we are talking about the Iditarod,,,and anyone who watches, supports, and cheers on the mushers in this cruel race...are supporting dog abuse!!!!!
WE NEED TO STOP THESE GENRES THAT SUPPORT ANIMAL ABUSE....AND THESE ARE THE IDITAROD, PIT BULL FIGHTING, BULL FIGHTS GREYHOUND RACING ELEPHANTS IN THE CIRCUS, DANCING BEARS. sO PLEASE PEOPLE GET OFF YOUR HIGH HORSE, AND LOOK AT THE REAL PICTURE, READ THE STORIES, LOOK AT THE PICTURES, AND PULL YOU HEADS OUT OF THE SAND.....DO YOUR HOMEWORK THEN COME BACK, AND TELL US THAT THERE IS NO ABUSE IN THE IDITAROD....AND STOP BRINGING YOUR LITTLE LAP HUSKYS INTO THE PICTURE THEY HAVE ABSOLUTELY NOTHING TO DO WITH THIS!!!!!

wow, LOL... you need to get out, or something. I think the vast vast majority of animal abuse occurs behind closed doors, not in the public eye in dog sports. Most people that participate in sports with their dogs (dog shows, sledding, agility, flyball, obedience) are well bonded and loving toward their dogs, and if anything spoil them MUCH more than the average "pet" home. You should be much more angry at the millions of americans STARVING their dogs, or leaving them in a pen/chained up for all of their life alone, or puppy mills overbreeding and then abandoning their dogs. There will be horrible people everywhere in this world, if anything dog sports are an activity that people do because they love their dogs and want to do as much with them as possible. I think that almost any working sledding dog is a lot happier than the millions of dogs who spend their entire life isolated, unexercised, and unstimulated (ie, a huge number of pet dogs).

I think you should try to volunteer at animal shelters, or do something, instead of coming on here and ranting senselessly. TRUST US, we of all people are 100% for outlawing and locking up all dog fighting and animal exploitation rings, along with prosecuting the average neglectful dog owner.