 By Margery Glickman May 14, 2010
John Suter raised excellent points when he wrote: "The next thing that ITC does not have is drug testing transparency for the dogs on the trail. No one is allowed to see the drug test results. Why is that? How does any one know that the dogs are in fact drug tested?" The Iditarod doesn't reveal where and when dogs are tested, or if every dog is tested during a race. Are dogs tested more than once? Are blood tests given after the Iditarod starts? Who maintains the integrity of the samples? What lab is used? Is it certified? Iditarod Rule 39 lists the prohibited drugs and procedures that can't be utilized on dogs. According to Rule 51, violations may result in warnings, monetary penalties, time penalties, censure, withdrawals or disqualification. By using the word "may," the Iditarod hasn't committed itself to punishing violators. Notice that the violators are not banned from racing. Margery Glickman
Received May 12, 2010 - Published May 14, 2010
Related Viewpoint:
Viewpoints - Opinion Letters:
and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Sitnews. Your full name, city and state are required for letter publication.
|
