Pull your own racing sleds! Whitehorse Star, Feb 26/10.

Re. “Quest musher scratches after dog death” (Star, Feb. 18).
The Yukon Quest’s race marshall, Hans Oettli responded to the death of the Quest dog Bags as if this death was an unusual event.He was quoted as saying, “Unfortunately, it’s a very traumatic event for all of us,” and “It’s losing one of your friends.”

Mr. Oettli: surely you are aware that breeding/producing and killing dogs is part of the competitive mushing industry. Is this ongoing practice not traumatic? Or are the dogs only considered “friends” when they pull mushers along the trail, and are actively entertaining and amusing people?

Head veterinarian Kathleen McGill, knowing what we know about the competitive mushing industry, I find it unethical for a veterinarian to support the Yukon Quest. Please explain to the public how you can justify what I see as unjust treatment of dogs.

In other Quest news, who is keeping track of all the other dogs produced and destroyed by breeders for this race over the last 27years? What are the dogs’ names, those that were named at all? How did they die, and why? Anyone?

Will Yukon tourism suffer without the labour of the dogs? When will we see an end to the spending of public money on this race? A race that has been exploiting,injuring and killing dogs for 27 years!

When will mushers pull their sleds 1,000 miles [themselves]? Just think of the tourists this event would attract.

Now, [that] would make history!

Mike Grieco
Whitehorse