Alaska Airlines drops sponsorship of Iditarod sled dog race

Alaska Airlines confirmed Monday it will drop its sponsorship of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, Alaska’s most famous sporting event. The Seattle-based airline, which got its start in Alaska decades ago, said that the decision to end sponsorship after this year's race was made as the company transitions to a new corporate giving strategy. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, the most vocal critic of the thousand-mile sled dog race across Alaska, praised the decision. "When dogs used in the Iditarod aren't being forced to run until their paws bleed and their bodies break down, they're chained alone in the bitter cold," PETA Executive VP Tracy Reiman said. "PETA and every kind person opposed to cruelty to dogs is flying high over Alaska Airlines' decision to stop sponsoring the Iditarod."<br/>