Susan Butcher passed away

[greguganus]

4-Time Iditarod Champion.
http://abcnews.go.com/Sports/wireStory?id=2278983

[Warpy]

1. How sad

She was always a heroine of mine, someone who escaped the burbs and did something fantastic in a faraway place.

She will be missed. ABC ran a perfect photo of her on that story.

[devinsgram]

2. Yes, how sad.

Their is one woman I truly admired.

[jilln]

3. Sorry for her and her family but the Iditarod is about as cruel as it gets

Longer and faster than it was ever meant to be and all for corporate money, dogs dying, dogs kept chained out in the ice when they're not training, etc.

It's a disgusting spectacle.

[Blue_In_AK]

5. An argument for another day.

[partylessinOhio]

6. I agree, she was a dog abuser. There is no need to abuse animals

for the insane pleasure of man or woman, none at all.

[ajacobson]

7. Your view of dog sledding does not correspond to reality.

Believe what you want, but those of us who know dog sledding know that the sport is properly and humanely conducted. These dogs are bred to run and they are the finest athletes in the entire animal kingdom.

[jilln]

14. Look up the stats on deaths.

Then ask yourself why some dog has to die so some human gets some glory and money. They're not athletes, they're being used.

[kestrel91316]

11. Wicked of you to speak of a dead woman like this in a thread to

mourn her.

Wicked and meanspirited. Shame on you.

[jilln]

13. Whatever!!!

You're the one calling names!!!

I stick by what I said, the Iditarod is a cruel race powered by money and horrible on the dogs.

[uppityperson]

15. RIP Susan, a kind woman who cared much for and about her dogs.

jilln, where do you live, what has made you come to this opinion on dog racing and (it seems) specifically the Iditarod?

[kestrel91316]

16. People with MANNERS know better than to speak ill of the dead in a forum

designed to honor them. Start your OWN thread to slander her, but don't do it here.

Your comment was disgusting.

[jilln]

17. This is a discussion forum, not a funeral.

You are not her family. Quit acting like I'm Fred Phelps.

If you don't want discussion, don't post on DISCUSSION forums. Or maybe add a disclaimer saying that no one that disagrees is allowed to speak. In fact, maybe you should try to get me thrown out of DU. If you need help on how this works, check with Bush's people, who have lots of experience making people shut up who don't agree with them, and kicking them out of places they have every right to be.

130 dogs have died, untold hundreds have been bred unnecessarily, debarked, euthanized by car exhaust, and injured for this "sport. Lots of this would be felony animal cruelty if there weren't money involved.

If you read my post, you should see clearly I did not insult the woman at all, I made a comment about the race. Get over yourself.

[Blue_In_AK]

4. Susan was a wonderful person

and all of us here in Alaska are mourning her passing, especially those of us who were here during her "run" in the '80s. This state is missing a lot of its heart today.

ed. And for you who say she was a dog abuser, you don't know what you're talking about.

[SeattleGirl]

8. Susan is the reason I paid attention to the Iditarod.

I was sad to read that she had passed away.

[tyedyeto]

9. Looks like the PETA folks are trying to...

hijack your thread.

RIP, Susan.

[uppityperson]

10. RIP Susan

she was quite a woman

[sproutster]

12. I have nothing bad to say about Susan

If you want to bitch about someone mistreating their dogs - Try Libby. One of her books is dedicated to another musher who knows she abuses her dogs and said something about it.

Dog mushing is not mistreating dogs, but it certainly does happen with some people.

My grandfather was a dog mushing mailman. My son won a blue ribbon on a lark with a house dog that trained with a team.

[earth mom]

18. RIP Susan.

:cry:

[Blue_in_CA]

19. A Sad Day

For all Alaskans. Susan was a hero of mine and most young girls growing up in the 80's. She showed strength, courage and true COMPASSION for her fellow Alaskans and the dogs she treated as her own children.

A huge loss.

[lonestarnot]

20. The Iditarod is a cruel and stupid thing to do to dogs.