Monroe, Wash.: I am a dog musher. I was not always one, so I can see this issue from both sides. Animal rights activists pitted against the Iditarod Sled Dog Race do not understand that sled dogs entering the race are the best cared-for dogs in the world. These dogs receive the best medical care, best food, best care in their kennels and dog yards, and the most loving attention from their mushers. And they are doing what they were born to do and love the most — run long distances. This is something that animal rights activists opposed to the Iditarod cannot wrap their minds around. I believe this is because they deny these dogs' true nature. They are a distinctly different species from humans, and they have physical and even psychic abilities that surpass ours. They want to be out there to run as far and as long as they can. The Iditarod Trail Committee makes safety for sled dogs the highest priority. Cathy Zylstra