It goes without saying that almost no one cares about the Iditarod, a dog sled race that begins annually on the first Saturday in March.

The Iditarod has no widespread coverage on television or the internet, a dwindling number of corporate sponsors, and is of increasingly little interest to anyone outside of those living on the thousand mile trail from Anchorage, AK to Nome, AK.

And yet this lack of concern has always extended to the dogs forced to participate. Data provided by Humane Mushing indicates that 595 dogs who finished the 2016 race showed signs of lung damage (81%), and that 488 of the finishing dogs were found to have ulcers or ulcerations (61%). These rates were consistent throughout the ten year period data was collected, for there were only two years in which the percentages varied by more than 1%. Data was not collected from sled dogs who dropped out of the race.

Every March, a smaller and smaller number of eyes look to Anchorage. This year, even their chief sponsor has abandoned the race. It has chosen to look away. But at the same time, Anchorage is used to this. For in the off months, these dogs are most often kept in outdoor kennels without insulation, without veterinary treatment, in freezing temperatures, and with rotten food.

Because it goes without saying: almost no one cares about the Iditarod.