Sport of dog mushing

[RLK]

I would like to get other people's opinions on the sport of dog mushing. I realize I might be opening up a whole can of worms on this topic but that's OK. I live in Alaska, have worked for a large racing kennel, have a small recreational kennel of my own, have seen portions of the Iditarod race several times and actually travelled the 1,000 miles to Nome with a dog team ( not racing but as a 24 day long camping/mushing adventure). I've experienced this sport closeup and although I feel there are some great things about it, I also have seen the negative side as well. I think, perhaps, that with any competiton level sport involving animals that human greed and the drive to compete can sometimes create an environment where the animals get the short end of the stick. I can go into a lot more detail here but would like to hear what others have to say. Thanks for your input everyone!