Sled dogs

Any kind of animal
Needs love and beyond that care
Thats no different to all of us
The real need is to share
Needs must thats a saying
Perhaps from history
But what we really need is love
Given generously

Given with understanding
The indigenous people they
Loved their animals dearly
And really in a way
The Samoyed were hunting dogs
In arctic conditions they
Were brought into their homes to sleep
Not chained outside okay

The ice and snow is damaging
And leaving a dog to be
Really out in the true extremes
Shows a lack of empathy
The indigenous know of the extremes
The sportsman doesn’t they
Are in it for the money
And They don’t feel it Anyway

Physical sensitivity that threshold
We should feel
Not because we are wrapped up warm
But outside when its real
Cold to be aware of that
And not expect our friends
Four legged with a lot of fur
For the message that it sends

Is one of lacking compassion
We need to wake up we
Need to share their agony
Feel their distress and be
With them on their journey
Slogging through the snow
Pulling dragging and flagging
Though their heart tells them to go

Heart attacks they happen
Pneumonia yes too
Muscle deterioration
From the pounding that they do
Ofcourse deydration
Diarrhea the stress is there
Of Course spinal injuries
Leading to despair

Accidents like impaling
Drowning strangled they
Are pulling like the clappers
In their running state of play
Often tethered on short chains
Their freedom taken away
A leash that cuts the air ways
Can quickly make them pay

Ten miles a day its real hard graft
On the wilderness trail
Running into headwinds
Into snow and hail
Your feet relaying messages
Of how hard its become
And all you hear is your old heart
Pounding like a drum

You feel the exploitation
Its chilling to be sure
You are straining every muscle
But wondering what for
The iditarod race
Its corporate sponsorship for gain
Its 50,000 dollars
It really feels insane

A race against the elements
Pitting dog and man
To suffer and unceasingly
A staying power and plan
Expecting unflagging efforts
For little in return
Running really till you drop
Till all your muscles burn

Cruelty is up there
You really want to die
If you had the choice
you
Would stop right now
Calm yourself and lie

Catching breath and wondering
Why it has to be
That you must run for all these miles
And suffer constantly
And know that when exhaustion
Or injury arrive
You might just hear the rifle
Knowing you will not survive

So you give your all for nothing
Exploitation all the way
You run yourself into the ground
Knowing that you pay
An awful price for loyalty
For a life in the extreme
And if you are not winning
You are soon thrown out the team.