Activists from PETA have called on Sir Lewis Hamilton to back their campaign against the Iditarod – a notorious dog-sled race which takes place in Alaska.
PETA campaigners sent Formula 1 CEO Stefano Domenicali a dead dog prop and a letter last week, urging him to end Liberty Media’s backing of the event.
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“F1’s sister company CGCI (under parent company Liberty Media) sponsors the deadly race to the tune of more than £180,000 a year,” PETA stressed in a statement sent to Formula1News.co.uk on Friday.
PETA director Elisa Allen has since called on Hamilton to “get involved” in their campaign against the Iditarod.
“Sir Lewis Hamilton and his colleagues are willing participants in races – but the dogs used in the Iditarod have no choice and are made to run until their bodies break down,” Allen told Formula1News.co.uk.
“We know that Hamilton, like all decent people, would be appalled to learn that the leading cause of death for dogs entered into this race is aspiration pneumonia – caused by inhaling their own vomit – and we believe that he will no doubt get involved in this life-saving campaign.”
Animal rights groups, like PETA, have long campaigned against the Iditarod.
Over 150 dogs have been killed as a result of this event since the first race took place almost five decades ago in 1973.
Numerous multi-national corporations, including ExxonMobil and Coca-Cola, recently pulled their sponsorship of the Iditarod.
They decided to withdraw their sponsorship of the event “after seeing video footage of hideously cruel living conditions for survivors of the race,” PETA told this publication.
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