Responsible travel: Is dog sledding ethical?

When I first came to Greenland back in September 2018, dog sledding was something that was on my mind a lot. It seemed like a great thing to try while in Greenland – it would be the perfect Arctic experience. Three years earlier, I enjoyed myself to the fullest while on a dog sledding trip in Svalbard, but a lot has changed since then.

I have become more ethically conscious. I turned vegan on the day I moved to Greenland, and I was unsure whether or not going dog sledding would contradict my new lifestyle.

I would never even consider riding an elephant, posing for a picture with a tiger cub or going to a zoo, but isn’t dog sledding just as bad? I mean, the dogs are trained their entire lives by humans in order to entertain humans. Is it abuse? Or do the dogs enjoy it?

Before coming to Greenland, I didn’t even think of dog sledding as an issue, because the dogs always look healthy and content. However, after travelling to Ilulissat in North Greenland and seeing the dogs in chains, I was torn. So I decided to do some research on the matter.

The cultural importance of the Greenlandic sled dogs

The Greenlandic sled dog is a breed of husky-type dog, brought from Siberia to North America and later to Greenland by the Thule people over 1000 years ago. Since then, they have been used as working animals, through which they have developed a powerful body with a natural capacity for load pulling and endurance in harsh environments.

Traditionally, sled dogs were used as the primary mode of transportation when the fjords would freeze over, and later they were also used on expeditions by European explorers. Dog sledding in Greenland became a way of life, and even today, during the winter months when there is plenty of snow and sea-ice, the locals still use dog sledding for hunting and travel.

In recent years, dog sledding has become one of the most popular tourist activities in North and East Greenland in the winter and spring, and thus is an important factor in the economy in these regions.

The dogs love to work

According to Greenland Travel, the sled dogs love to run and get excited when going on sled trips. These dogs are an ancient breed, and for most of their history their sole purpose was to work for people in harsh climates, so the lifestyle is ingrained in them.

Of course, it’s hard to actually know whether or not the dogs enjoy the work, since we are not them, but for the most part it does actually seem to be true.

So if this is what the sled dogs truly love to do, wouldn’t it be cruel to deprive them of it?

While the dogs may actually enjoy working for humans, there are so many ethical issues related to the dog sledding sport, which also need to be addressed.

The adult dogs are chained to stakes when not in action

In North and East Greenland during the summer and autumn, when there is not enough snow and ice for dog sledding tours, the adult dogs are chained while the pups are free to roam. I honestly thought it was terrible to see these dogs sitting outside on short chains.

It contradicts the statement that the dogs are happy because they love to run – because outside dog sledding season, they DON’T get to do that. They are forced to do the exact opposite. To just sit around in chains for months on end, waiting for winter to come back, so they can finally get out there again. It’s not hard to understand just why the dogs get so excited when there’s finally enough snow to go sledding.

But why are they chained in the first place? In Greenland, it’s a law that was enforced by the Danish government in the early 1900s. According to the locals, the Greenlandic sled dogs can be vicious and there was even a story going around about a dog killing a five-year-old child. For that reason, there are signs all over telling tourists not to feed or pet the dogs. Yes, the Greenlandic sled dogs may be genetically closer to wolves than other dog breeds, but even wolves don’t attack humans out of the blue. The fact that the sled dogs can and will attack humans might be an indication that what we’re doing to them isn’t right.

A good local friend of mine told me that in some Greenlandic towns, they keep the dogs on deserted islands during the summer period, where they can roam free. The owners visit them often to give them food and check up on their health. If only this would be the custom all over the country, the dogs would have a much better life quality.

The unnecessary killings of sled dogs

The world was in shock in 2011 after a tragedy in Whistler, Canada, relating to the dog sledding industry. More than 100 huskies were executed by the owner of a dog sledding tour company because of a downturn in business after the 2010 Olympic Games. Since a veterinarian refused to euthanize the healthy dogs, the owner instead shot or stabbed the dogs to death before throwing them into a mass grave. A direct consequence of the dog sledding industry.

This incident may be a single horrifying case, but have you ever wondered what happens to the sled dogs, when they no longer have the spirit or strength to work? Well, since they are no longer economically valuable and they can’t be rehomed or taken to an animal shelter due to their “vicious” nature, the dogs are killed, often before their fifth birthday.

Are animals slaves of humans?

Something that I never understood about humans is the claim for the right to treat animals as we like since we are the “strongest” or more developed species. Therefore, keeping animals in captivity in zoos is okay, because it’s for human education. And dog sledding, elephant riding and bullfighting is also okay, because its for human entertainment. Right?

But turn this argument around. Men are also physically stronger than women, but it DOESN’T give men the right to treat women as they want. A man with a gun in his hand has the power to kill another person, but does that make it right? No, it doesn’t. And the same goes for the animals vs. humans argument – it just doesn’t make sense. Why would we take advantage of a weaker species when we can choose not to? The sled dogs did not actively volunteer for this kind of life, and yet that’s what we humans enforce on them. Whether they thrive or not.

Our responsibilities as tourists

To go dog sledding or not is a personal choice, much like eating meat vs. a vegan diet is a personal choice, but we have to ask ourselves whether or not this is a morally right decision. One must remember that it’s not only your life that is affected by your choice. If you do decide to go dog sledding, you are putting money into an industry that you then claim to agree with.

I have no doubt that most mushers do care for their dogs, and I hope that the defenders of mushing will speak up against those who inflict suffering on the dogs. I think most of us can agree that dog sledding CAN be done in an ethical way, where the animals are treated with dignity and respect, but until that happens or unless you know for sure that the company treats the dogs well, I would not encourage anyone to partake in dog sledding tours. Personally, I would rather go without an experience than contribute to animal abuse.

I respect the people of Greenland a lot, and have been very careful not to shove my very vegan views on animal welfare down their throats, due to their long tradition of hunting and dog sledding. But I also feel responsibility as a public voice to speak out when I see something going on that I don’t agree with. I do believe that the sled dogs of Greenland are otherwise treated well, but nothing can make chaining an animal and killing it before its time okay in my book.

If you truly love the dogs, don’t do any tours involving them. Be a responsible tourist, but also understand that this is an ingrained part of the Greenlandic culture, so remember to be respectful. Support the locals in other ways – buy local souvenirs, stay at local B&Bs or hostels, eat local food and do other tours by locals that do not involve the exploitation of animals.

All opinions in this article are my own.All information was given to me by Greenlandic friends or found on the websites referenced in the article. Please note that I have only interacted with sled dogs and their owners in Svalbard and Greenland, and can therefore not comment on how it’s done in other countries. But please remember to do your research if you do choose to go on a dog sledding tour, regardless of the country and place.