In response to, "have you seen the mushers when their dogs die?" This photo says it all: http://bit.ly/2rqjt3b

Katherine Keith and John Baker [pictured above] each had a dog die in the race this year (Flash and Groovey, respectively), and that photo is them at the finish. It's not about the dogs - at all - for many industry mushers. Most have lost sight of why they (hopefully) got into the sport in the first place. That's why our sport has as much dirty laundry as it does right now. The only way it is going to continue is through humane mushing.