Mushers denounce animal cruelty

HOUSTON -- Some Valley mushers gathered over the weekend to speak out against animal cruelty and distance themselves from David Straub, who is facing 17 counts of animal cruelty after Mat-Su Borough officials discovered last week that many of his dogs were starving.

Nearly a dozen mushers representing professional, sprint and recreational dog mushing gathered at the kennel of Lynda Plettner in Houston to defend the integrity of their sport.

The meeting was organized by Pamela Beech, a recreational musher from Wasilla.

"We want the public to know that we stand behind what animal control has done in the taking of David Straub's dogs," Beech said in a prepared statement Saturday morning. "We want everybody to know that we are just as appalled about the condition of his dogs as you are, and we also want you to know that he does not represent us or what we stand for as dog mushers."

After giving statements, members of the group walked down a path through the falling snow to where some of the three hundred sled dogs at Plettner's kennel are kept. The dogs were all lean -- as sled dogs should be -- and also in fine shape, offering an example of how professional sled dogs should be cared for.

Plettner's kennel is one of the largest in the Valley, housing her own sled dogs, those of other professional and recreational mushers and also subcontracted as a kennel for Houston animal control, which services the city of Wasilla.

Plettner said that at any given time she has several hundred pounds of dog food in dry storage, as well as meat, for the dogs.

Straub, whose kennel license was revoked after 28 of his 32 dogs were taken by Animal Care and Regulation on Oct. 15, is appealing the borough decision. He is also facing 17 counts of animal cruelty for failing to feed his animals.

The overriding message Saturday seemed to be twofold: True mushers always put their dogs first, no matter what, and members of the mushing community are ready and willing to help mushers who can't feed their dogs, but only if they ask.

"When you see an animal that looks like this, you know it's in bad shape," said two-time Iditarod musher Frank Sihler, pointing to a photo of one of Straub's dogs that was taken by an animal control officer. "It's a matter of asking for help and not letting it go this far. When you consider the dogs athletes, you have to take extra care of them, you have to put them first."

Kelley Griffin, another professional musher who runs the Yukon Quest, said although mushers are generally independent, the mushing community is fairly tightknit and mushers will usually come to the aid of fellow mushers in need, "but you have to be smart enough to know when to ask for help and you have to know when to give up your dogs," she said.

"We shop for the dogs first, ourselves second, the same as on the trail," said Scott Purkey, a recreational musher from Big Lake. "There is free food galore out there but you have to set your pride aside and ask. It's all about the dogs -- you take care of them first, then yourself."

Contact John Davidson at john.davidson@frontiersman.com.