The 2024 Iditarod has proven to be a far more dangerous trek than recent editions of the Alaskan dog sled race.
Two dogs died in the famed event, as animals for mushers Isaac Teaford and Hunter Keefe each collapsed on the trail. Bog, a 2-year-old male on Teaford’s team, and George, a 4-year-old male on Keefe’s team, are the two dogs that died.
Race officials said that autopsies will be performed on both animals. As a result of the deaths, both Teaford and Keefe voluntarily withdrew from the Iditarod, per race rules.
Dogs dying during the race are not uncommon. However, the two deaths in 2024 mark the first ones since 2019. The last dog to die in the Iditarod was Oshi, a 5-year-old female on musher Richie Beattie’s team, according to the Associated Press.
PETA (The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) claimed that over 150 dogs have died since the race began in 1973. Race organizers have not provided an official count.
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The two canine deaths are not the first animals to perish during the 2024 edition of The Last Great Race on Earth. During the first day of the competition, mushers were forced to punch, shoot, kill, and dress a moose that attacked two mushers and their teams of dogs.
The recent events involving the animals have resulted in calls from PETA to shut down the relay. The organization shared a video showing Teaford trying to pick up his dog, Bog, before waiving race officials over.
PETA executive vice president Tracy Reiman said this in a statement about the recent deaths:
“Only in the Iditarod can people force dogs to run to their deaths and be caught on video trying to force a collapsed dog to stand and carry on—reprehensible actions that PETA points out would bring cruelty-to-animals charges anywhere else in the country,” Reiman said. “The mushers, Liberty Media — a top Iditarod sponsor — and anyone else enabling this shameful death race to continue all have Bog’s and George’s blood on their hands.”
Her message was echoed by PETA senior vice president Colleen O’Brien, who released the following statement following the first reported death.
“The death count keeps climbing for dogs who are forced to run until their bodies break down, all so the human winner can get a trophy while the dogs get an icy grave,” O’Brien said. “PETA is calling for this despicable race to end before more dogs like Bog pay with their lives.”
Iditarod rules state that dog deaths are to be “treated as a priority, with every effort being made to determine the cause of death in a thorough and reliable manner.” A necropsy is to be conducted “at the earliest opportunity” by a certified veterinary pathologist.
All dog deaths at the event will be reviewed within 30 days of the end of the race. This is conducted by a group “consisting of three independent investigators, with consultation from the Race Marshal, Chief Veterinarian and any other professional experts deemed necessary by that panel.”
The 2024 Iditarod, which started on March 2, is not expected to end until March 17.
