The award-winning documentary Sled Dogs pulls back the snow-dusted curtain on the celebrated yet shadowed world of sled dog racing. While the Iditarod is often called “The Last Great Race on Earth,” this documentary reveals the darker reality that lies beneath the heroic imagery. Through intimate footage, raw interviews, and personal testimonies, the film captures both the passion of mushers and the tragic suffering of the dogs they depend on. Here's the New York Times review:
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/27/movies/sled-dogs-review.html

The film has been called Blackfish for the sled dog industry, a reference to the documentary that aired on CNN and makes a powerful case against Sea World and the industry that keeps orcas in captivity. Sled Dogs opens with awe-inspiring scenes of Alaska’s vast wilderness and the thrill of racing—highlighting the deep bond between mushers and their teams. Viewers hear from racers who see dog sledding as the ultimate outdoor adventure, a spiritual connection with nature, and a tribute to history. Yet, this romanticized vision quickly unravels as the narrative shifts.

Sled Dogs doesn't shy away from the harsh truths: extreme training regimens, abusive discipline, neglected kennels, and a chilling industry practice of culling dogs deemed unfit. The film reveals the brutal aftermath of racing seasons—dogs with raw skin, skeletal bodies, untreated injuries, and those left chained in the heat, starved for stimulation and care. Former insiders and whistleblowers recount traumatic events, including one infamous incident in Canada. You'll have to watch to find out what it is.

The documentary also investigates the broader legal and cultural systems that enable such cruelty. Dogs are treated as property under the law, with minimal protections even in well-known tourist towns. The film captures confrontations at town councils, legal inaction, and community resistance to reform. But amid the horror, stories of hope emerge: rescuers adopting traumatized dogs, veterinarians fighting for stronger regulations, and grassroots groups exposing abuse.

Directed by investigative journalist Fern Levitt and released in 2016, the film encountered strong resistance from the dog sledding industry which called it one-sided. One dog sledder even tried to get an injunction to stop the film's premiere at the prestigious Whistler Film Festival. You can read about that here:
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/sled-dogs-mushers-reaction-bc-culling-euthanizing-1.3867429

Ultimately, the film aired on the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation's Documentary Channel and won the World Documentary Award at the Whistler Film Festival. It was also acknowledged by the Alliance of Women Film Journalists and the Canadian Screen Awards. Learn more about the fascinating journey that led Fern Levitt to make this film, for which she is best known: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fern_Levitt

As emotional as it is investigative, Sled Dogs questions whether commercial dog sledding can ever be ethical. It contrasts the image of super-athlete dogs with the physical and psychological toll racing takes on them—raising urgent questions about consent, care, and commodification.

This documentary doesn’t aim to vilify every musher or erase cultural traditions. Instead, it exposes how profit, prestige, and mythology have shielded systemic cruelty. With haunting imagery and unforgettable voices, Sled Dogs challenges audiences to confront the true cost of entertainment cloaked in snow and silence.