Please protest Dell’s sponsorship of Iditarod
PHOTO | Santa Barbara Independent "Dark Side of the Iditarod"
From Sled Dog Action Coalition
An animal protection activist received a disappointing response after she asked Dell to end its Iditarod sponsorship, as a result of the horrific massacre of sled dogs in Canada. Dell defended their support for the race. The company called the Iditarod a “valued customer.” Dell should value customers who care about animals. Dell also wrote: “Dell does not sanction action that puts these dogs, or any other animal, in a harmful situation.” The Iditarod has a long, well-documented history of dog deaths, illnesses and injuries. But Dell doesn’t think the race hurts dogs!
Please send another message to Dell. You may use the message below (modified from ALDF), but please edit as you deem appropriate.
WHERE TO SEND YOUR MESSAGE
Individual
michael_dell@dell.com, brian_gladden@dell.com, paul_bell@dell.com, karen_quintos@dell.com, robert_williams@dell.com, Bob_Kaufman@Dell.com
Group
michael_dell@dell.com
brian_gladden@dell.com
paul_bell@dell.com
karen_quintos@dell.com
robert_williams@dell.com
Bob_Kaufman@Dell.com
SAMPLE MESSAGE | From ALDF (I have modified slightly, please edit as you feel appropriate)
Dear Dell Representatives,
I was very shocked to learn about your reluctance to discontinue sponsoring the Iditarod, a decidedly cruel and vicious “sport” subjecting dogs to relentless suffering. Although you are aware of the massacre of 100 sled dogs at a British Columbia dog tour company, who conducted a grisly, inhumane massacre because “business was slow”, you fail to acknowledge the inherent brutality involved in such an industry. Indeed, news reports confirm that the practice of killing unwanted dogs is commonplace in the industry. In the U.S., the dog sledding industry goes largely unregulated, and mushing is actually exempt from state cruelty laws in Alaska.
Since the Iditarod race began in 1973, over 130 dogs have died during the event. We don’t know how many dogs have died during training or immediately after the event, because no one is keeping statistics — however, news reports detail Iditarod mushers shooting, drowning, and bludgeoning to death their own unwanted dogs. Other causes of death for sled dogs have included heart attacks, hemorrhaging after being impaled on a sled, muscular arrest and strangulation. There are multiple claims that dogs have been beaten during the race when they were too tired or otherwise unwilling to continue running. And there are numerous examples of dogs suffering injuries, exhaustion and other illnesses.
Please visit this site to see for yourself the fundamental cruelty involved: http://www.helpsleddogs.org/faq.htm
I urge you to take a stand against the savage cruelty of the dog sledding industry and pull your sponsorship of the 2011 Iditarod immediately. No one should be cashing in on the suffering — and the all-too-often savage slaughter — of dogs forced to mush. As long as you continue to fund the Iditarod, the blood of these abused animals remains on your hands, and I will be unable to support Dell commercially or personally.
NAME, ADDRESS
RELATED | Iditarod Cruelty
More …
dell, you have in image to maintain
so why do you endorse suffering and pain?
Karen Lyons Kalmenson
Our Compass 
The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.
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dell, you have in image to maintain
so why do you endorse suffering and pain?
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Letter sent to Dell reps. I cannot believe that this event does anything for their bottom line. Has to be some other reason they are promoting this cruel event.
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Letter sent
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