Comments on: All Alaska Sweepstakes

By: Bryan

Bryan — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 17:46:03 +0000

Alaska has the laws, but there aren’t many law enforcers, so people tend to do things on their own outside the cities. I’m not even sure if the mushers can identify the drivers, as they were more concerned with their dogs.

The All Alaska is sponsored by the Nome Kennel Club and they have very strict rules about caring for dogs during the event. Mistreatment of dogs results in your entire team being forfeit to the Club, so this is especially tragic that some provisions weren’t made to protect teams.

Snowmobiles are a necessary evil in Alaska, but something will have to be done to protect teams, or people will not support the races. Zorro is an extremely important bloodline among sled dogs, and if it is lost because of an idiot on a snowmobile, there will be backlash, even in the libertarian environment of Alaska. The races are the economy in many small towns, and this threat can’t be ignored.

By: Steve Bates

Steve Bates — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 07:40:37 +0000

I guess snowmobiles must be the jet skis of the north. Every summer… often enough several times in a summer… some idiot down here gets full of beer and damages or kills himself, or often enough, someone else, doing some damn fool thing with a jet ski.

I understand the excitement of jet-skiing or snowmobiling, but I just don’t understand the thrill of doing something that can kill an innocent dog or human. I do hope there are some legal consequences for the perpetrator of this tragedy.

By: hipparchia

hipparchia — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 07:00:07 +0000

$20/gall9n gasoline would fix that. or maybe not.

do the reckless snowmobilers ever get ticketed or fined or sent to jail or something?

they make reflective vests for dogs to wear, but the poor pups get overheated. and you can put reflectors, or even flashing lights on their collars and harnesses, but if the dog has a fluffy stand-off coat, not even the flashing lights are visible until it’s too late. besides, the dogs are already working hard, they shouldn’t have to carry extra weight, or wear more restrictive gear.