The Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race and Animal Cruelty

The Iditarod Trail dog sled race is a sled dog race from Anchorage, Alaska to Nome, Alaska, a route that is over 1,100 miles long. Aside from basic animal rights arguments against using dogs for entertainment or to pull sleds, many people object to the Iditarod because of the animal cruelty and deaths involved. â€Å"[J]agged mountain ranges, frozen river, dense forest, desolate tundra and miles of windswept coast . . . temperatures far below zero, winds that can cause a complete loss of visibility, the hazards of overflow, long hours of darkness and treacherous climbs and side hills.† This is from the official Iditarod website. The death of a dog in the 2013 Iditarod has prompted race organizers to improve protocols for dogs removed from the race. History of the Iditarod The Iditarod Trail is a National Historic Trail and was established as a route for dog sleds to access remote, snowbound areas during the 1909 Alaskan gold rush. In 1967, the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race began as a much shorter sled dog race, over a portion of the Iditarod Trail. In 1973, race organizers turned the Iditarod Race into the grueling 9-12 day race that it is today, ending in Nome, AK. As the official Iditarod website puts it, â€Å"There were many who believed it was crazy to send a bunch of mushers out into the vast uninhabited Alaskan wilderness.† The Iditarod Today The rules for the Iditarod require teams of one musher with 12 to 16 dogs, with at least six dogs crossing the finish line. The musher is the human driver of the sled. Anyone who has been convicted of animal cruelty or animal neglect in Alaska is disqualified from being a musher in the Iditarod. The race requires the teams to take three mandatory breaks. Compared to previous years, the entry fee is up and the purse is down. Every musher who finishes in the top 30 receives a cash prize. Inherent Cruelty in the Race According to the Sled Dog Action Coalition, at least 136 dogs have died in the Iditarod or as a result of running in the Iditarod. The race organizers, the Iditarod Trail Committee (ITC), simultaneously romanticize the unforgiving terrain and weather encountered by the dogs and mushers, while arguing that the race is not cruel to the dogs. Even during their breaks, the dogs are required to remain outdoors except when being examined or treated by a veterinarian. In most U.S. states, keeping a dog outdoors for twelve days in freezing weather would warrant an animal cruelty conviction, but Alaskan animal cruelty statutes exempt standard dog mushing practices: This section does not apply to generally accepted dog mushing or pulling contests or practices or rodeos or stock contests. Instead of being an act of animal cruelty, this exposure is a requirement of the Iditarod. At the same time, Iditarod rules prohibit â€Å"cruel or inhumane treatment of the dogs.† A musher may be disqualified if a dog dies of abusive treatment, but the musher will not be disqualified if â€Å"[T]he cause of death is due to a circumstance, nature of the trail, or force beyond the control of the musher. This recognizes the inherent risks of wilderness travel.† If a person in another state forced their dog to run over 1,100 miles through ice and snow and the dog died, they would probably be convicted of animal cruelty. It is because of the inherent risks of running the dogs across a frozen tundra in sub-zero weather for twelve days that many believe the Iditarod should be stopped. The official Iditarod rules state, â€Å"All dog deaths are regrettable, but there are some that may be considered unpreventable.† Although the ITC may consider some dog deaths unpreventable, a sure way to prevent the deaths is to stop the Iditarod. Inadequate Veterinary Care Although race checkpoints are staffed by veterinarians, mushers sometimes skip checkpoints and there is no requirement for the dogs to be examined. According to the Sled Dog Action Coalition, most of the Iditarod veterinarians belong to the International Sled Dog Veterinary Medical Association, an organization that promotes sled dog races. Instead of being impartial caregivers for the dogs, they have a vested interest, and in some cases, a financial interest, in promoting sled dog racing. Iditarod veterinarians have even allowed sick dogs to continue running and compared dog deaths to the deaths of willing human athletes. However, no human athlete has ever died in the Iditarod. Intentional Abuse and Cruelty Concerns about intentional abuse and cruelty beyond the rigors of the race are also valid. According to an  ESPN article: Two-time runner-up Ramy Brooks was disqualified from the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race for abusing his dogs. The 38-year-old Brooks hit each of his 10 dogs with a trail marking lathe, similar to a surveyors stake, after two refused to get up and continue running on an ice field [...] Jerry Riley, winner of the 1976 Iditarod, was banned for life from the race in 1990 after he dropped a dog in White Mountain without informing veterinarians the animal was injured. Nine years later, he was allowed back in the race. One of Brooks’ dogs later died during the 2007 Iditarod, but the death was believed to be unrelated to the beating. Although Brooks was disqualified for beating his dogs, nothing in the Iditarod rules prohibits mushers from whipping the dogs. This quote from  The Speed Mushing Manual, by Jim Welch, appears on the Sled Dog Action Coalition: A training device such as a whip is not cruel at all but is effective [...] It is a common training device in use among dog mushers [...] A whip is a very humane training tool [...] Never say whoa if you intend to stop to whip a dog [...] So without saying whoa you plant the hook, run up the side Fido is on, grab the back of his harness, pull back enough so that there is slack in the tug line, say Fido, get up immediately rapping his hind end with a whip. As if dog deaths were not enough, the rules allow mushers to kill moose, caribou, buffalo, and other large animals â€Å"in defense of life or property† along the race. If the mushers were not racing in the Iditarod, they wouldn’t encounter wild animals defending their territory. Breeding and Culling Many of the mushers breed their own dogs for use in the Iditarod and other sled dog races. Few dogs can become champions, so it is common practice to  cull  the unprofitable dogs. An email from former musher Ashley Keith to the Sled Dog Action Coalition explains: When I was active in the mushing community, other mushers were open with me about the fact that larger Iditarod kennels frequently disposed of dogs by shooting them, drowning them or setting them loose to fend for themselves in the wilderness. This was especially true in Alaska, they said, where veterinarians were often hours away. They often used the phrase Bullets are cheaper. And they noted that its more practical for mushers in remote parts of Alaska to do it themselves. The Mushers Although the mushers endure some of the same harsh conditions faced by the dogs, the mushers decide voluntarily to run the  race and are fully aware of the risks involved. The dogs do not make such decisions knowingly or voluntarily. The mushers can also voluntarily decide to drop out and walk away when the race is too difficult. In contrast, individual dogs are dropped from the team when they are sick, injured or dead. Furthermore, the mushers are not whipped if they are going too slow. Changes After Dog Death in 2013 In the 2013 Iditarod, a dog named Dorado was removed from the race because he was moving stiffly. Dorados musher, Paige Drobny, continued the race and, following standard protocol, Dorado was left outside in the cold and the snow at a checkpoint. Dorado died of asphyxiation after being buried in snow, although seven other dogs who were also covered in snow survived. As a result of Dorados death, race organizers plan to build dog shelters at two checkpoints and also check on the dropped dogs more frequently. More flights will also be scheduled to transport dropped dogs from checkpoints that are not accessible via roads. What Can I Do? You dont have to be a member of PETA to believe in animal rights. Even with the entry fee, the Iditarod loses money on each musher, so the race relies on money from corporate sponsors. Urge the sponsors to stop supporting animal cruelty, and boycott sponsors of the Iditarod. The Sled Dog Action Coalition has a  list of sponsors  as well as a  sample letter.

Emotional Intelligence And Conflict Management - 758 Words

TAYLOR: EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE AND CONFLICT MANAGEMENT 2 There are countless diverse titles in a business that necessitate different knowledge, talents and competences. Therefore, this is of significance to businesses in ensuring leaders who are capable to motivate, comprehend and get their groups to work collectively. Many businesses should be looking to progress their performance and efficiency through obtaining and employing the right individuals in leadership ranks. Management and supervision titles involve more than just specialized intelligence, skill and proficiency in their specified area, but being supervisors and managers over others as well. However, it is to my understanding that the basis of emotional intelligence in management should be the foundation of leadership. Before assignments, followers, objectives and techniques are able to be described or assessed, the manager’s emotional intelligence should first be evaluated. Moreover, emotional intelligence then turns into the prognosticator of how successfully the manager will be able to manage in any particular situation, set of responsibilities or followers. Matthew 23:11 states, â€Å"The greatest among you shall be your servant† (NKJ). Generally speaking, it is in my opinion that everyone utilizes their emotional intelligence on a day-to-day basis, sometimes with no realization of it. It is to my understanding that emotional intelligence may perhaps entail understanding andShow MoreRelatedConflict Management and Emotional Intelligence63003 Words   |  253 PagesSouthern Cross University ePublications@SCU Theses 2010 Conflict management and emotional intelligence Yu Fai Leung Southern Cross University, keith.leung.yu.fai@gmail.com Suggested Citation Leung, YF 2010, Conflict management and emotional intelligence , DBA thesis, Southern Cross University, Lismore, NSW. 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BPHS Essay Example For Students

BPHS Essay Buena Park High SchoolThe Coyotes first became a school on September 11, 1956. This was the third school introduced to Fullerton Union High School District. The first principal was Mr. Richard Spaulding. The population of the high school rose from 508 students to 2,200. The current principal is Mr. Michael Conroy. Buena Park is accredited for the next six-years. This means that graduates went through quality criteria. They are also a Digital High School. This school has a tobacco free campus. They are also a zero tolerance school. 230 credits are required to graduate. Buena Park High School is Californias only magnet school in the area of Aviation Sciences. Their Aviation program is called SOAR, or School of Aviation Research. This program has been implemented for three years now. Cypress College also offers aviation courses at Buena Park High School for students who may receive either high school or college credit. This program is supported by airport administrators. They go on fiel d trips to airports and museums. Steven Segal graduated from Buena Park high school. He is their only famous alumni. The mascot for Buena Park is the coyotes. Their colors are green and white. They have their own football field. The schools address is 8833 Academy Drive, Buena Park, CA 90621. They are in the Freeway League for athletics. This league was formed during the 1958-59 school year. BPHS is the only school to remain in the Freeway League during its entire thirty-seven year history. Today the league includes Buena Park, Fullerton, La Habra, Sonora, Sunny Hills and Troy high schools. There are a few websites for this school but all of them are not working. One is Buenapark.seniorhigh.net. Buena Park has two student publications. These are, The Paw Prints, which is made by the journalism class. There are nine issues of it throughout the duration of the school year. There is also Los Coyotes, the school yearbook. This is made during the spring and is distributed in June. Publications class makes the yearbook. The Coyote Courier is also made for students parents. This is mailed to them. Their Alma Mater is:Hail to our Alma Mater,Ever faithful we will be,Hand in hand we proudly stand, To pledge our loyalty,With noble heart we will do our part,For you we will never fail,Buena Park we proudly sing,Hail, All Hail!Their Fight Song is:Fight on Coyotes, fight, and we will win this fray. Fight on Coyotes, fight, and we will win this game tonight. Hail Green and White, our Alma Mater, on triumphantly. So march right down that field and never yield,Well fight on to victory.

Torture, Not Culture - Female Genital Mutilation Essays - Medicine

Torture, Not Culture - Female Genital Mutilation TORTURE, NOT CULTURE (AN INSIGHT INTO FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATION) Female circumcision, better known as Female Genital Mutilation, is an ugly monster finally rearing its head from out of the depths of time. It can attack a girl at any age, with a little prompting from her society, and the aid of an unsuspecting human wielding the knife. Usually, it is performed from a few days after birth to puberty, but in some regions, the torture can be put off until just before marriage or the seventh month of pregnancy (Samad, 52). Women that have gone beyond the primary level of education are much less likely to fall victim to the tradition ("Men's...", 34). The average victim is illiterate and living in a poverty-stricken community where people face hunger, bad health, over-working, and unclean water ("Female...", 1714). This, however, is not always the case. As one can see in the following story of Soraya Mire, social classes create no real barriers. Soraya Mire, a 13-year-old from Mogadishu, Somolia, never knew what would happen to her the day her mother called her out of her room to go buy her some gifts. When asked why, her mother replied, "I just want to show you how much I love you." As Soraya got into the car, she wondered where the armed guards were. Being the daughter of a Somolian general, she was always escorted by guards. Despite her mother's promise of gifts, they did not stop at a store, but at a doctor's home. "This is your special day," Soraya's mother said. "Now you are to become a woman, an important woman." She was ushered into the house and strapped down to an operating table. A local anesthetic was given but it barely blunted the pain as the doctor performed the circumcision. Soraya was sent home an hour later. Soraya broke from her culture's confining bonds at the age of 18 by running away from an abusive arranged marriage. In Switzerland, she was put in a hospital emergency room with severe menstrual cramps because of the operation. Seven months later, the doctor performed reconstructive surgery on her. Now in the U.S., Soraya is a leading spokeswoman against FGM (Bell, 58). In addition to being active in the fight against FGM, she is a American filmmaker. She has come a long way. Being well-educated about the facts of FGM also brings to light the ugly truth. "It is happening on American soil," insists Soraya. Mutilations are occurring every day among innigrants and refugees in the U.S. (Brownlee, 57). Immigrants have also brought the horrifying practice to Europe, Australia, and Canada (McCarthy, 14). Normally, it is practiced in North and Central Africa ("Men's...", 34), the Middle East, and Muslim populations of Indonesia and Malaysia ("Female...", 1714). Although it seems to have taken root in Muslim and African Christian religions, there is no Koranic or Biblical backing for FGM ("Men's...", 34). Many times female circumcision is treated as a religion in itself. It can be a sacred ritual meant to be kept secret forever. As a woman told poet Mariama Barrie, "You are about to enter Society {sic}, and you must never reveal the ritual that is about to take place." (Barrie, 54). The ritualistic version of FGM is much more barbaric than the sterile doctor's world which Soraya Mire passed through. Mariama Barrie had to endure the most severe form of FGm at the tender age of ten. Mariama's torture is known as infibulation. There is also excision and sunna. Infibulation consists of the removal of the entire clitoris, the whole of the labia minora and up to 2/3 of the labia majora. The sides of the vulva are sewn or held together by long thorns. A small opening the size of the tip of a matchstick is left for the passage of menstrual blood and urine. Excision is a clitoridectomy and sometimes the removal of the labia minora; sunna is the only type that can truthfully be called circumcision. It is a subtotal clitoridectomy ("Female...", 1714). To put this in perspective, infibulation would be like cutting off a man's penis completely, cutting the testicles to the groin, and

European Lion Facts and Figures

European Lion Facts and Figures Panthera leo, the modern lion, included a bewildering array of subspecies in early historical times. At least three of these- Panthera leo europaea, Panthera leo tartarica and Panthera leo fossilis- are referred to collectively as the European Lion; these big cats inhabited a broad swath of western, central and eastern Europe, ranging from the Iberian peninsula to as far east as Greece and the Caucasus. The European Lion probably descended from the same common ancestor as the Asiatic Lion, Panthera leo persica, the still-extant remnants of which can still be found in modern India. Cultural References Tantalizingly, the European Lion is referenced numerous times in classical literature; the Persian king Xerxes reportedly encountered some specimens when he invaded Macedonia in the 5th century B.C.E, and this big cat was almost certainly used by the Romans in gladiatorial combat or to dispose of unfortunate Christians in the first and second centuries A.D. Like other Panthera leo subspecies, the European Lion was hunted to extinction by humans, either for sport or to protect villages and farmland, and disappeared off the face of the earth about 1,000 years ago. The European Lion should not be confused with the Cave Lion, Panthera leo spelaea, which survived in Europe and Asia up to the cusp of the last Ice Age. Facts Historical Epoch Late Pleistocene-Modern (one million-1,000 years ago) Size and Weight Up to four feet high at the shoulder and 400 pounds Distinguishing Characteristics Large size; lack of manes in females

Leadership & Motivation Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Leadership & Motivation - Research Paper Example The organizations are focusing on effective leadership strategies and motivation process to retain employees. Lack of motivation and self confidence level of an employee can affect the organizational performance. Therefore, the organizations are trying to fulfill the personal needs of an employee to achieve significance work performance. Leadership Effective leadership strategy is an important tool that helps an individual to achieve organizational objectives and goals by influencing or motivating other employees (Williams, 2008). Successful leadership strategy depends upon specific situation and environment involved in those dynamics. Leaders within an organization have to follow several pathways to fulfill organizational goals. Following theory will help the readers to examine different kinds of behavior of a leader. Path Goal Theory of House Robert House stated that most important activity of a leader is to clarify the pathway of different goals of interests to the employees and s ubordinates. Effective leaders always try to develop a connection between the organizational goal and subordinate goal. Major objective of a leader within an organization is to improve the group performance through several motivation processes. ... In participative behavior, leaders generally consult with the employees and subordinates and then consider their views and options. Leaders with achievement oriented behavior support and encourage the subordinates or employees to apply superior efforts. The leaders try to strive for a superior level of goal achievement (Chance, 2009). Achievement oriented leaders believe that their subordinates can accomplish the goals. The characteristics of subordinates and several environmental aspects effectively influence the success. Moreover, these create potential opportunity for the successful leadership. Motivation The leaders and the managers of an organization try to motivate their employees through several motivational strategies in order to accomplish the organizational goal. Individuals can be motivated by several external environmental factors like supervision, pay, job perks and job benefits. This motivation process is known as extrinsic motivation. Moreover, people also can be motiv ated by the effective relationship between the job task and workers. This motivation process is known as intrinsic motivation. Following motivation theories will help the readers to understand about several aspects of human needs. Hierarchy of Needs Theory of Maslow Abraham Maslow established a theory based on five sets of human needs that are effectively arranged in a hierarchy. These are physiological, safety, social recognition, self esteem and self actualization needs. Physiological needs include needs for water, shelter, clothing, money and food. Safety needs include stability, structured environment and job security. Social recognition needs include affection, love, socialization, friendship and companionship. Self esteem needs include

Corporate Responsibility and Marketing Strategies Assignment - 2

Corporate Responsibility and Marketing Strategies - Assignment Example The combination of these qualities has been the pivotal reason behind the success story of Apple Inc. which revolutionized the retail industries and the technology. Apple Inc. is dedicated towards the main standards of ethical conduct, environment and social responsibilities. The prime purpose of the paper is to provide vivid information about the ethical and social responsibility, current position and strategies of the Apple Corporation. According to David Kurtz, â€Å"social responsibility is defined as the management values that comprises of contributing resources to the developing in nonprofit programs, community and maintaining the natural environment for the benefit of the general community†. Apple Inc. is a multinational corporation of America founded in 1976. Apple develops, designs, sells computer software, consumer electronics, personal computers and online services. Apple strives to be committed towards making an extraordinary technology and be socially and ethically responsible (Lencioni, 2012). According to the management of Apple Corporation, â€Å"social responsibility is defined as the essential in the manner of doing business in the organization†. In case of suppliers, it has been stated on the Progress Report of Global Suppliers Responsibility by Apple as providing safe working surroundings. Some of the social responsibility program initiated by Apple Inc. in the year 2010 includes increase in the number of facilities that are audited, use of probable conflict minerals are mapped, prevention of hiring underage workers, introduction of educated facilities that can help to manage third-party recruiters, protection of worker from other countries by dedicated additional resources and expansion in the training initiative. In case of training expansion, 300,000 workers are trained on their protections and