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Grade 7 Performance Task- Quarter 3- Argumentative EssayTask: Analyze three sources: Key Standard Rh.6-8.8 1.

Directions: Read and annotate multiple sources (Source 1) - Read the article, “Is the Iditarod Cruel to Dogs?” by Laura Anastasia. Note how she presents two sides to an argument. She uses information from experts to support the claims on each side.

Source #1- Is The Iditarod Cruel to Dogs? By Laura AnastasiaBackground

Earlier this month, more than 900 sled dogs and drivers dashed across the starting line of the Iditarod (eye-DIT-uh-rod), one of the most grueling competitions on Earth. For several days, they raced nearly 1,000 miles in subzero temperatures and blizzard conditions across the Alaskan wilderness, navigating snowy peaks, frozen rivers, and wild tundra.

During the annual race, teams of 12 to 16 dogs haul their human drivers, called mushers, on sleds from Anchorage to Nome--about the distance from New York City to Orlando, Florida. Most teams complete the race in 9 to 17 days.

The Iditarod commemorates sled dogs' lifesaving role in delivering medicine to Nome to stop a deadly diphtheria outbreak in 1925. Critics, however, say the race has become a symbol of something else entirely--cruelty to dogs. They want the Iditarod stopped in its tracks.

It's InhumaneThe Iditarod's extreme distance, terrain, and weather conditions put sled dogs at risk of injury and death, says Colleen O'Brien, a spokesperson for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals in Virginia. More than 130 dogs have died during the Iditarod since it started in 1973.

The canines that survive also suffer, says O'Brien. "For nearly 1,000 miles, the dogs are subjected to biting winds, blinding snowstorms, subzero temperatures, and falls through treacherous ice into frigid water," she tells JS. "Their feet can become bruised, bloodied, cut, and worn out." And some dogs run multiple races a year.

Running that far, that fast, is not instinctive for dogs, says Marc Bekoff, an animal expert in Colorado. Wolves--dogs' wild relatives--don't cover Iditarod-like distances either, Bekoff explains. "Wolves may travel 50 miles a day, but they rest and they're mobile when they want to be."

Even the dogs that made the heroic medicine delivery in 1925 didn't cover nearly as much ground, says Margery Glickman, the director of the Sled Dog Action Coalition in Florida. A train

carried the medicine part of the way, with 20 mushers and 150 dogs splitting the remaining 674 miles. The longest stretch one team ran was 91 miles.

"Dogs in the Iditarod race a 1,000mile course, which is over 10 times the maximum a dog would have run in [1925]," Glickman says.

Mushers may be taking advantage of dogs' goodwill toward humans, Bekoff says, especially since there is more than $725,000 in prize money at stake.

"It's very misleading to say that just because dogs will do it, they like it," he says. "Dogs would do pretty much anything for a human."

Born to RunSled dogs love to run in the Iditarod, especially huskies, which have been bred to thrive in Arctic conditions, says Alaskan musher Lisbet Norris. This year is her second Iditarod.

"Sled dogs are naturally incredible athletes," she tells JS. "Through training, conditioning, and top nutrition, they are capable of accomplishing feats of incredible speed and endurance with relatively little effort on their part." Norris starts her team's training with 1- or 2-mile treks several months before the race, increasing the distance gradually.

Mushers have a big incentive to take excellent care of their dogs, says Mark Derr, a dog expert in Florida. “If the dogs are not being treated well or they're tired, they will quit," he tells JS. "They'll just lie down on the trail."

Race officials also put the dogs' safety first, supporters say. Iditarod rules forbid cruel treatment of the dogs, including any action or inaction that causes preventable pain and suffering. The canines undergo heart and blood tests before the race and 52 vets are stationed along the trail to monitor the dogs at checkpoints.

The very purpose of the race is to honor sled dogs, supporters say. Alaskan Dorothy G. Page dreamed up the Iditarod in the 1960s after realizing that many people did not know about sled dogs' vital role in the state's history. The canines also helped deliver supplies and building materials during the construction of Alaska's roads and bridges.

To Norris and other mushers, sled dogs are more than just Iditarod racers."My dogs are my best friends," she says. "I spend many hours with them every day--feeding, cleaning, training, petting, and loving them."

(Source 2)- Analyze the picture. The Iditarod sled dog is being transported on the sled back to base camp. “Was the Iditarod too much for this sled dog?"

Junior Scholastic 1 Mar. 2010: 6+. Research in Context Web. 17 Feb. 2016.

(Source 3)- Read the article, “Is the Iditarod Sled Dog Race Safe for the Dogs?” by Becky Arnold. *Note how she presents two sides to an argument. She uses information from experts to support the claims on each side.

Every winter since 1973, men and dogs face what has become known as “The Last Great Race,” the Iditarod, pronounced “Hi-dit-a-rod” from an Athabaskan Indian word meaning “a distant place.”

Not only does the race live up to its name, as it is run on one of two desolate 1,000 plus mile trails between Anchorage and Nome, Alaska, the race crosses frozen rivers, barren tundra, treacherous paths and steep climbs while braving what is, at times, the meanest weather on earth. Temperatures during the day are considered mild at 0 degrees, averaging 20 below at night, sometimes dropping to -40 or -50 below. Plenty of rain, snow and freezing winds are expected this year. Weather can be harsh and bitterly cold, yet the dogs seem to love it.

Although several breeds of dogs run the race, the most common is the Alaskan Husky, a mixed-breed with Siberian husky stock, born and bred for their stamina against cold and their love of running. Each sled is pulled by a highly trained team of 12 to 16 canine athletes, with 4 to 6 of the team being specialists – dogs who are particularly strong under certain conditions. Two lead dogs head up the pack while the “ballast” members of the team are the wheel dogs at the very rear of the pack.

To develop a performance team requires a long-term commitment of both human and dog. Training begins at puppyhood and becomes the dog’s life.

Is the Iditarod race cruelty to dogs? Some would have you think so. The Sled Dog Action Coalition says:

In almost all of the Iditarod races, at least one dog death has occurred. The first race is reported to have resulted in the deaths of 15 to 19 dogs. In 1997, the Anchorage Daily News reported that “At least 107 (dogs) have died.” In the years since that report, 35more dogs have died in the Iditarod, bringing the grand total of dogs that have died in the Iditarod to at least 142.

Although even a single death is grave and worthy of investigation, considering that over 1,000 dogs have entered each year, the percentage of canine athlete fatalities from the Iditarod is low in comparison to deaths of human athletes participating in auto racing and contact sports. Perhaps the fairness is more in questioning whether the dogs, unlike their humans’ counterparts, are given a choice to participate.

Dagny McKinley of Wild Hearts Dog Sledding the Rockies, writes:

Yesterday I received an email from Sled Dog Action asking me to please stop supporting the cruel sport of the Iditarod. This is a topic that is very close to my heart as I worked for three

years at a dog sled touring operation. The email says that dogs are not checked for health at checkpoints, etc.

My boss, Kris Hoffman will be racing the Iditarod this year with dogs I have known since birth. There is a running joke at the kennel that Kris doesn’t need to have children with his new wife, Sara because he already has over 100 kids- the dogs. These dogs are his children, and I consider each of these dogs to be my friends. These dogs are never starved as sled dog action would have you believe because starving dogs don’t have the energy to run. These dogs live to run. Many people think sled dogs look too thin, but they forget, these dogs exercise every day and are in top athletic shape. These are not house dogs and as a society, we are too used to seeing obese dogs or heavy dogs and that is unhealthy. The sled dogs at Grizzle-T can live up to 20 years old because they are in such good shape. Take for example Honeycut. Honeycut is a shy dog who prefers the company of dogs to humans. He often hides under his home when we come around to feed him and will come out only for the briefest love with a select few people. But when it comes time to run and the harnesses are brought out, Honeycut will climb on my lap and give me kisses so he can run. It is clear these dogs love to run.

After investigating both sides of the argument, it appears the race has become big business, built on the ever popular story of man and beast challenging the extreme. And along with big business and big money, comes professionalism; more veterinarians, better conditions, more regulations. But of course, there’s no way to really know what goes on prior to race day in kennels and training camps isolated in remote wilderness areas miles from public view. However, it’s safe to say that most trainer/mushers respect the incredible abilities of these great dogs and likewise, the respect of the dogs themselves. Anyone that has watched dog sledding first hand, taken part in a sled team, or has owned one of these amazing dogs knows how much they love to work. And, while the Iditarod may have been less than safe in its early years, rules and regulations in place today ensure that the dogs are happy, healthy, and having fun!