Last week, when I wrote about Captain Boycott, Dan made an interesting comment about how what he does isn't really a boycott:
If my understanding of the word is correct, then I am not boycotting animal products any more than I’m boycotting the consumption of human flesh.
Today's post was going to be about boycotting companies that support the Iditarod. There is a list below, and I include nearly every item on the list so you can see just how many industries are involved in the barbaric event. Also, there are probably companies you deal with or might deal with, and you can boycott them until they withdraw their support of the Iditarod.
And that, as I believe was Dan's point, is really what a boycott is. You are withdrawing your involvement due to a condition that the company can choose to change if it values your involvement and wants you back.
Are we really boycotting Tyson Foods? No. Their very mission is the exploitation of nonhuman animals. We simply don't do business with them because their mission is unethical according to veganism. Tyson isn't getting us back anytime soon, nor does it want to, as we're not its target market.
But the Scholastic Corporation promotes the Iditarod. As do Harcourt School Publishers, Target and the Girl Scouts of the USA. The World Wildlife Fund sponsors mushers! So does Blockbuster! There's potential for powerful, legitimate boycotting in the list below. Take a gander, and if there's a company you can contact because you have a relationship with them and you're shocked by their involvement in the Iditarod, tell them you're boycotting, and when they come to their senses, you'll be happy to re-engage. (This does not bode well for my Blockbuster habit.)
Thanks to the Sled Dog Action Coalition for the following list.
Iditarod SPONSORS:
K & L Distributors, Inc. (Anheuser-Busch distributor)
Email: Terri.Vogt@anheuser-busch.com
Chrysler (Cerberus Capital Management, L.P.)
Email: media@cerberuscapital.com
Coca-Cola
Email: tmattia@na.ko.com
Millennium & Copthorne Hotels
Email: david.curtis-brignell@mill-cop.com
Wells Fargo & Company
Email: Catherine.Gacad@wellsfargo.com
Kroger Company (Fred Meyer Stores)
Email: kroger.investors@kroger.com
Spenard Builders (Lanoga Corporation)
Email: ssolomon@dixieline.com
Chevron Corporation
Email: pubaffmr@chevrontexaco.com
Exxon Mobil Corporation
Email: enterprise.comments@exxonmobil.com
Anchorage Daily News (Mc Clatchy Company)
Email: ptira@mcclatchy.com
Providence Health System
Email: employment@providence.org
Alaska Airlines (Alaska Air Group)
Email: newsroom@alaskaair.com
Peninsula Airways, Inc. (Pen Air)
Email: info@penair.com
Alaska Brewing Company
Email: fhees@alaskanbeer.com
Network Appliance, Inc.
Email: investor_relations@netapp.com
General Communication, Inc. (GCI)
Email: rcs@gci.com
Anchorage Municipal Light and Power
Email: AskMLP@muni.org
Electrochem Commercial Power
Email: sales@electrochempower.com
Alaska Serigraphics
Email: dpowers@akserigraphics.com
The City of Anchorage
Email: Mayor@ci.anchorage.ak.us
Iditarod Promoters:
"Wife Swap," ABC-TV (RDF Media Group, Pangea Management Group)
Email: Chris.Coelen@RDFUSA.com
Target Corporation
E-mail: investorrelations@target.com
National Weather Service
Email: jack.hayes@noaa.gov
Harcourt School Publishers
Email: rick.blake@harcourt.com
National Children's Oral Health Foundation
Email: fingber@ncohf.org
Associated Press
Email: KCarroll@ap.org
Chicago Park District (Polar Adventure Days)
Email: timothy.mitchell@chicagoparkdistrict.com
Carnival Corporation
Email: rabello@hollandamerica.com, jbenson@princesscruises.com
Home Depot
Email: frank_blake@homedepot.com
National Education Association
Email: readacross@nea.org
Panasonic
Email: greenbergr@us.panasonic.com
About.com
Email: emcdonald@about.com
US Army Garrison Walter Reed Army Medical Center
Email: WRAMCPublicAffairs@na.amedd.army.mil
Alaska SPCA
Email: akspca@gci.net
Kansas City Public Library
Email: crosbyk@kclibrary.org
Elderhostel
Email: peter.spiers@elderhostel.org
National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium
Email: info@rivermuseum.com
EducationWorld . com
Email: rdatz@educationworld.com
Houghton Mifflin Company
Email: corporate_communications@hmco.com
Travel Channel (Discover Communications, Inc.)
Email: roger_millay@discovery.com
PBS Nature
Email: programming@thirteen.org
PBS Reading Rainbow
Email: dmcpherson@wned.org
Riverboat Discovery
Email: orders@riverboatdiscovery.com
Scholastic Corporation
Email: investor_relations@scholastic.com
Workman Publishing Company
Email: info@workman.com
Girl Scouts of the USA
Email: communications@girlscouts.org
Fodors (Random House)
Email: POlson@randomhouse.com
Christ Lutheran School
Email: jschrank@cclphoenix.org
Email: cehlers@cclphoenix.org
Versus Cable TV
Email: feedback@versus.com
Email: adsales@olntv.com
University of Alaska Anchorage
Email: Chancellor@uaa.alaska.edu
Naperville Public Libraries
Email: ddziedzic@naperville-lib.org
Globus Tours (includes Globus, Cosmos, Monograms, Avalon)
Email: consumervacation@globusfamily.com
Frommers . com (Wiley Publishing, Inc.)
Email: sspilka@wiley.com
AAA Mid-Atlantic
Email: landerson@aaamidatlantic.com
AAA New Mexico
Email: chavez.jeannie@aaa-newmexico.com
Abercrombie & Kent, Inc.
Email: dfoersom@abercrombiekent.com
Kriegner Travel Services, Inc.
Email: travel@kriegner.com
Grayline of Alaska
Email: glainfo@HollandAmerica.com
Senior Sojourns, Inc.
Email: Pat@SeniorSojourns.com
Strong Travel Services
Email: info@strongtravel.com
Explore Tours
Email: info@exploretours.com
Distinctive Escapes
Email: sales@distinctiveescapes.com
Camelback Odyssey Travel
Email: iand@camelbacktravel.com
Intra World Travel & Tours
Email: info@intrawld.com
International Student Travel Confederation
Email: communications@wysetc.org
Four Seasons Travel
Email: gwen@fourseasonstrvl.com
LuxuryTour.com
Email: tours@atlastravelweb.com
World Wide Country Tours
Email: vacations@countrytours.com
Luxury Travel, Inc.
Email: Wendi@Luxtravel.com
Harvey World Travel
Email: reception@harveyworld.com.au
Knightly Tours
Email: sales@knightlytours.com
Unique Travel
Email: agent@uniquetrav.com
American Sky
Email: info@americansky.co.uk
Sun Connections Travel & Cruises
Email: travel@sunconnections.com
Amazing Journeys, LLC
Email: bcartiff@jccpgh.org
Contiki Holidays
Email: clare.sloane@contiki.com.au
Insight Vacations
Email: contactus@insightvacations.com
Travcoa
Email: margareth@travcoa.com
Mayflower Tours
Email: info@mayflowertours.com
Tauck World Discovery
Email: tarmstrong@tauck.com
Para Tours
Email: info@para-tours.ch
Travelwizard . com
Email: concierge@travelwizard.com
News 12 New Jersey
Email: news12nj@news12.com
MacNider Art Museum
Email: blanchard@macniderart.org
New Jesery Department of Human Services
Email: DHS_Commissioner@dhs.state.nj.us
Omaha Public Library
Email: webdesk@omahapubliclibrary.org
Utah State University
Email: provost@usu.edu, Mary.Hubbard@usu.edu, jim.dorward@usu.edu
Friends' School
Email: pdonald@friendsschoolboulder.org
Under Armour, Inc.
Email: investorrelations@underarmour.com
USA Today (Gannett Company, Inc.)
Email: jheinz@gannett.com, letters@usatoday.com
Musher sponsors:
World Wildlife Fund
Email: plannedgiving@wwfus.org
National Guard Bureau
Email: publicwebsite@ng.army.mil
John Deere & Company
Email: LaneRobertW@JohnDeere.com
Liberty University
Email: admissions@liberty.edu
Red Roof Inns (Owned by Westbridge Hospitality Fund and Citigroup's Global Situations Group)
Email: investorrelations@citi.com
Email: kenneth.gibson@whg.com
Medtronic
Email: martha.aronson@medtronic.com
Harley-Davidson, Inc.
Email: mike.morgan@harley-davidson.com
Toyota Motor Corporation
Email: toyota_cares@toyota.com
Leer, Inc. (J.B. Poindexter & Co., Inc.)
Email: rwhatley@jbpco.com
Alaska Knights of Columbus (Knights of Columbus)
Email: patrick.korten@kofc.org
Array BioPharma Inc.
Email: IR@arraybiopharma.com
Hot Chillys (Stanfield's Ltd.)
Email: inquiries@stanfields.com
Email: help@hotchillys.com
Massachusetts Solar (Solatron Technologies, Inc.)-SEE COMMENTS FOR CORRECTION
Email: rayboggs@partsonsale.com
Harper Street Publishing
Email: Greg@Harper-Street.com
Alaska Aces (hockey team)
Email: brendan@alaskaaces.com
Gallant Insurance Agency, Inc.
Email: kate@gallantins.com
Northern Outfitters
Email: jim@NorthernOutfitters.com
Coastal Helicopters, Inc.
Email: lisa@coastalhelicopters.com
7-UP (Cadbury Schweppes plc)
Email: laura.edwards@csplc.com
Jiffy Lube International, Inc. (Shell Oil Company)
Email: royaldutchshell.shareholders@shell.com
Eukanuba/Iams (Procter & Gamble Company)
Email: Shareholders.IM@pg.com
Blockbuster Video
Email: investor.relations@blockbuster.com
McDonalds Restaurants (McDonald Corporation)
Email: walt.riker@us.mcd.com
Taco Bell (Yum! Brands, Inc.)
Email: yum.investor@yum.com
Polaris Industries Inc.
Email: richard.edwards@polarisind.com
Mountain HardWear
Email: jcondemi@mountainhardwear.com
Sears & Associates
Email: larrysr@searsandassociates.com
Batteries Plus
Email: customersupport@batteriesplus.com
Oomingmak
Email: qiviut@gci.net
Kaladi Brothers Coffee Company
Email: sales@kaladi.com
Tracks of Alaska Photography
Email: traxak@clearwire.net
Alaskan Discovery RV Tours, Ltd.
Email: spikealaska@earthlink.net
Inlet Tower Hotel & Suites
Email: info@inlettower.com
Homer Stage Line
Email: hsl@xyz.net
Alaska Icefield Expeditions
Email: info@akdogtour.com
Intervet (Akzo Nobel)
Email: investor.relations@akzonobel.com
Colorado Altitude Training
Email: ryoung@altitudetraining.com
J. J. Keller & Associates, Inc.
Email: jbilitz@jjkeller.com
bGlobal, Inc.
Email: rodney.bolls@bglobal.us
ND Industries
Email: info@ndindustries.com
Ursa wagons
Email: sales@ursawagon.com
Great Lakes GeoScience
Email: tchozes@pathwaynet.com
Western Products
Email: info@westernplows.com
Macgellan.com
Email: Macgellan@mac.com
Krabloonik Kennels
Email: reservations@krabloonik.com
Mill Direct Textiles
Email: GregG@milldirecttextiles.com
Penfield
Email: info@penfieldusa.com
Reisky & Schlese
Email: info@reisky-schlese.de
Dog Company
Email: cech@dogcompany.at
Allen Family Foods, Inc.
Email: affeob@allenfamilyfoods.com
Parker, Smith & Feek, Inc.
Email: jmshanholtz@psfinc.com
Michael Bertrand Photography
Email: mbphotos@rockisland.com
Michael Trippodi Dienstleistungen
Email: mail@trippodi.de
Sahale Snacks
Email: info@sahalesnacks.com
Northland Services
Email: CustomerService@northlandservices.com
Beaver Sports
Email: beaversports@beaversports.com
Eagle Pack
Email: msteele@eaglepack.com
Co-Fly Industries
Email: charlene@permafrost.com
Sportees Activewear
Email: info@sportees.com
Pioneer Lodge
Email: info@pioneerlodgeak.com
Bi-Polar Racing
Email: jeffm@creagan.biz
The Black Dog Tavern Co.
Email: abbietaylor@theblackdog.com
Alpine Lodge
Email: reservations@akalpinelodge.com
National Dog Food
Email: info@nationaldogfood.com
FogTech (Motosolutions)
Email: gene@motosolutions.com
Caribou Creek Pet Foods
Email: webmaster@cariboucreekgold.com
The Outdoor Source
Email: info@theoutdoorsource.com
West Rib Cafe and Pub
Email: dennisfreeman@yahoo.com
Trekker Design
Email: sales@trekkerdesigns.com
Up Here Publishing Ltd.
Email: kathy@uphere.ca
FirstMate Pet Food
Email: taplowf@firstmate.com
Appenzell Brewing Company
Email: r.signer@appenzellerbier.ch
Bed & Breakfast 'De Kastanjeboom'
Email: info@dekastanjeboom.be
Toy Store De Krokodil Brugge
Email: brugge@krokodil.be
Wegwijzer Travel Information
Email: info@wegwijzer.be
Pink & Blue Publicity
Email: info@pinkandblue.be
Hotel Restaurant Stossplatz
Email: h.weishaupt@freesurf.ch
Sea Pet (Sea Starr Animal Health, Inc.)
Email: contact@seapet.com
Laurel Pub Company
Email: feedback@laurelpubco.com
Ziwipeak Limited Natural
Email: kathy@ziwipeak.com
John Hall's Alaska
Email: info@kissalaska.com
Ten Squared Racing
Email: info@10squaredracing.com
Capital Electric
Email: larsn@capitalelec.com
Icicle Seafoods, Inc.
Email: johnb@icicleseafoods.com
Blackwood Pet Food
Email: info@blackwoodpetfood.com
Sound Electric
Email: karen@soundele.com
Siberian Husky Club of Greater Chicago, IL
Email: jsiegel@naturesbest.com
Bay Area Siberian Husky Club, CA
Email: sledder1@pacbell.net
Northern California Siberian Husky Club
Email: mead@unr.edu
Redpaw Feed
Email: contact@redpawfeed.com
Pro Pac Dog Food (Midwestern Pet Foods, Inc.)
Email: contact@propacpetfood.com
Kamik
Email: info@kamik.com
Bynje
Email: post@brynje.no
Noraid
Email: post@noraid.no
Vi sees
Email: anni@visees.no
Macrogard (Immunocorp)
Email: sales@immunocorp.no
HomeSchoolers' Support Association
Email: nwdunnings@msn.com
Prism Health Networks
Email: pcandino@prismnetwork.com
Email: mzygaj@prismnetwork.com
Siberian Husky Club of Metro Dallas
Email: wegerer@swbell.net
Teck Cominco
Email: info@teckcominco.com
Edmund Optics
Email: sales@edmundoptics.com
GoNorth Alaska Travel Center
Email: para@alaska.net
Wayne County Community Federal Credit Union
Email: cblough@wccfcu.com
PJ Operating Corp.
Email: sales@pjoperating.com
Trail Ridge Air, Inc.
Email: jim@trailridgeair.com
Oasis Environmental
Email: info@oasisenviro.com
Diabetes Sports and Wellness Foundation
Email: bob@dswf.org
Nye Frontier Ford
Email: FordHGMail@nyefrontier.com
Julbo Eyewear
Email: info@julbousa.com
The Standard Insurance Company (StanCorp Financial Group, Inc.)
Email: jkeister@standard.com
Atta Boy Dog Food (American Nutrition, Inc.)
Email: feedback@amnutrition.com
K9 Topcoats
Email: info@k9topcoat.com
Hello,
Can you explain why the Omaha Public Library ended up on your list? Thanks.
Posted by: Manya | March 05, 2008 at 05:07 PM
Manya,
As I stated, I copied the list (and not even the whole thing) from an e-mail from the Sled Dog Action Coalition.
I will e-mail them and ask.
Posted by: mary martin | March 05, 2008 at 05:54 PM
Whoa, what a coincidence. I have been writing a column on the subject of veganism not being a boycott for a couple of weeks now. Just put the finishing touches on it this morning, so this is an interesting (good) coincidence.
I am highly discouraged by that list you posted...
Posted by: Eric Prescott | March 05, 2008 at 11:02 PM
Manya,
Here is the response I received:
The Omaha Public library is listed on the Sled Dog Action Coalition website as a race promoter. It paid Iditarod musher Matt Anderson to hype the race in a talk.
Posted by: mary martin | March 06, 2008 at 06:38 AM
are you truly naive enough to believe that margery glickman nonsense?
Posted by: craig medred | March 07, 2008 at 07:20 PM
If this is indeed Craig Medred posting, funny for him as an Anchorage Daily News journalist (cowardly yellow journalists who support Idiotarod animal cruelty) to show his miserable presence on this site. Mr. Medred makes a good living as one of the prime Idiotarod/Alaskan sled dog industry propagandists. Shame on you, Mr. Medred. By the way, I as a fellow sled dog advocate, live in the Yukon, which is another hellhole for sled dogs, especially the poor dogs who suffer and die in the Yukon Quest (Yukon Disgrace). Extend my congratulations to your Idiotarod friends for killing their first dog this year - the first dog DURING the race that is. Many of these people are apparently 'prolific dog killers' the rest of the year. Thanks Margery for all the vital work you have done for the dogs. And thanks Mary!
Posted by: Terry Cumming | March 09, 2008 at 12:11 PM
It appears that Mrs. Margery Glickman Director of The Sled Dog Action Coalition has wrongly named Solatron Technologies Inc. a California corporation as a sponsor of the Iditarod race.
It appears that she has confused a domain name that is owned by Solatron Technologies Inc.(massachusettssolar.com) with Massachusetts Solar a Massachusetts company. Solatron Technologies, Inc. has no affiliation with Massachusetts Solar and has never been involved in any way with any iditarod race.
This has caused irreparable financial harm to Solatron Technologies, Inc. due to the degree and length of time that this false accusation has been disseminated.
In light of her negligence, Solatron Technologies Inc. and its attorneys are actively discussing legal action against Mrs. Glickman. Shame on Mrs. Glickman for not researching her information before causing damage to this company's good name.
Posted by: Ray Boggs | March 29, 2008 at 11:08 PM
It appears that the company is a division of Solatron Technologies and the website lists Ray Bogg's as one of the company's founders. I was directed to this page:
http://64.233.167.104/search?q=cache:HuQfwJV6PkgJ:www.massachusettssolar.com/index.html+Massachusetts+Solar&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=5&gl=us&ie=UTF-8
("Our company's founder Mr. Ray Boggs with Mr. Chevy Chase and his wife at a recent Environmental Awards Dinner.")
Also, Ms. Glickman writes to companies before listing their names to give them the opportunity to correct any errors or end their involvement. She does this in the beginning of January and got no response.
Posted by: Mary Martin | March 30, 2008 at 04:13 PM
The website massachucettessolar.com is a division of the company Solatron Technologies, Inc. There is no company that is a division of Solatron Technologies, Inc. Solatron Technologies Inc. is a sole entity. The company that sponsored the Ididorod has nothing to do with Solatron Technologies Inc. nor its website massachusettssolar.com. This is where Mrs. Glickman's mistake lies. Massachusetts Solar located in Massachusetts sponsored the Iditorod participant, massachusettssolar.com did not. Mrs. Glickman has been notified and has been given 72 hours to remove her false statement regarding Solatron Technologies Inc. and post a retraction and apology or she and her organization will face a libel lawsuit.
Posted by: Ray Boggs | March 30, 2008 at 09:35 PM
I guess because of the similarities in names I'm confused. Luckily that's irrelevant, as it sounds like one way or another this episode will be over soon.
I hope this means you don't approve of the Iditarod.
Posted by: Mary Martin | March 31, 2008 at 06:55 AM
As the President and CEO of Solatron Technologies, Inc. I will officially state here and now that I don't approve of the Iditarod nor any activity that abuses animals. This is why I am so upset over being falsely accused of supporting such an event. I am not interested in suing Mrs. Glickman, on the contrary I would like to see her continue her good work. But I must protect my company's good name and only request that she post the truth on her website. I am willing to accept the fact that she is confused about identifying the wrong company, but so far she has failed to reply to me, even though I have provided her with my email address, office phone, fax and cell phone number. My suggestion would be that she contacts the Iditarod organization and I am sure that they will confirm that Solatron Technologies, Inc. nor its website has ever sponsored any of their activities.
Posted by: Ray Boggs | April 01, 2008 at 12:51 AM
Ray,
I'm so glad to hear that you don't approve of the Iditarod. I will put a correction into this post.
Posted by: Mary Martin | April 01, 2008 at 06:38 AM
Thank you Mary
I called the Iditarod organization today and have asked them to provide me with a letter confirming that neither Solatron Technologies, Inc. nor Massachusettssolar.com has ever sponsored the Iditarod or any participant of the Iditarod. I will forward a copy to you as soon as I have received it. I will also attempt to contact Massachusetts Solar and will ask them to provide me with a letter stating that we have no association with their company. It appears that Margery Glickman's deadline has come and gone without her making any effort to correct the mistake on her website despite that fact that she finally did respond to my emails. Again thank you for allowing me to clear the record. Hopefully Margery will take the time to investigate and will learn for herself that I have been speaking the truth about this matter.
Posted by: Ray Boggs | April 02, 2008 at 02:12 AM
I am a dog musher from Anchorage Alaska, and I would like to clear up a few of the facts Margery Glickman stated in her comment.
First of all, the percentage of dogs that die in the Iditarod is not nearly as much as the percentage of household pets that die everyday due to starvation, being hit by cars, neglect, etc. Out of the 52 million pet dogs in the United States, 6.2 million die every year due to the above mentioned causes. Thats 12 percent. Out of the 1088 dogs that started the 2009 Iditarod, 6 died. Thats only 0.6 percent.
The injuries that occur in the Iditarod are no different or worse than the injuries in any other major race. In the 2008 Boston marathon, paramedics treated over 900 runners in their medical tents. The injuries included: 3 heart attacks, dehydration, hyponatremia, hypothermia, sprained muscles, tendonitis, contusions, stress fractures, and much more. Any sporting event will show the same statistics – many injuries occur.
In 2009, 505 dogs (out of 1088) didn’t finish the race. That’s 46%. Just because 46% of the dogs don’t finish the race, doesn’t mean that all 46% dropped out due to injury or other causes. Out of the 505 dogs that didn’t finish the race, 256 were on teams that dropped out of the race all together. A large majority of the dogs are taken out of the race because the musher is stopping for their best interest. If a dog team is not strong enough to complete the race, a musher will drop out for the sake of the dogs. The dog musher’s primary concern is the health and safety of their dog team.
Average lifespan of a pet dog is about 12 years. Average lifespan of a sled dog is 14 years. This is proof that sled dogs are very well cared for throughout their life, and receive the best treatment possible. This is what allows them to have such a long lifespan.
You mentioned the use of a whip. Not many mushers use whips, but for those who do, the whip never comes in physical contact with a dog. The use of the whip is to create a noise which the dogs are trained to respond to, just like if a musher were to yell a command at the dog. The dogs are not afraid of the noise – the cracking noise the whip makes can be compared to the whistle a person uses to train hunting dogs.
A musher is not allowed to pass through a checkpoint until the dogs are checked over by the veterinarians. All of the vets along the race course are so skilled and well-trained that they can spot injuries by watching the way a dog acts. There are multiple vets at each checkpoint, so when a dog team pulls in, it doesn’t take more than a few minutes for the vets to completely check over the entire team.
Most mushers chain their dogs using a 10 to 12 foot chain, which gives the dogs a 112 square foot area to run in. The average dorm room size (for 2 people) is 228 square feet. Thats 114 square feet per person. A 112 square foot area provides plenty of room for a dog to run around in. Dog yards are also chained in to prevent animals such as wolves and bears from getting in.
Colonel Tom Classen was quoted in the comment, however, I have no idea why his opinion is qualified on the subject of dog mushing. Sure, he is a long time Alaskan resident, but he has no history with dog mushing or any sled dogs at all. He is an air force Colonel, not a veterinarian.
Mushers do not race the Iditarod for “fortune.” The cost to raise, train, and care for a competitive 16-dog Iditarod team for just ONE year is between 150 and 200 THOUSAND dollars. The winning prize in 2009 was $69 thousand. Mushing is a very expensive sport, and no dog musher makes a profit off of it.
Please don’t judge dog mushing until you can actually see sled dogs at work and see how much they love to do what they do. The “Sled Dog Action Coalition” that Margery Glickman mentioned is based out of Miami, Florida. I’m not sure how anyone from Miami can have any real knowledge about dog mushing.
Posted by: hannah | August 21, 2009 at 05:44 AM