Stop support for commercial dog racing

To the editor:

After working with the borough animal care office to get a list of licensed kennels here in the Mat-Su Valley, we discovered that an Iditarod racer owns a kennel across the street from Frank Rich. How does a veteran musher turn his head while more than 160 dogs are dying at his neighbor's kennel? This is the main question that may have prevented the case from going to trial.

Guilty for two counts only? This is obviously a gross underestimate of the number of animals involved. Where did all these dogs come from? Who helped to support the food and expenses for more than 160 animals? Why aren't sled dogs required to have microchips in this borough? These and many more questions would have surfaced when this case went to trial.

This case and the Melanie Gould case are the preludes to a down economy and a time when our country is running out of money to support sled dog racing, and definitely no cash to support abusing animals.

I ask the Alaska community to stop supporting any commercial racing of dogs. Your money is your vote! It is time we get into the 21st century and clean up this kennel mess! Dogs deserve better.

Steve Stine

Willow