It is easy to use PETA as the scapegoat for the excuse.  Far easier than to look for other answers that the race committee just does not want to accept: over commercialization.   The race has transpired from an original adventure of dogsled racing to Nome into a commercial adventure with full time racers.  Throughout the year we see coverage of racers preparing for The Great Race. Advertisers utilize racers to promote everything from dog food to Iditarod raffle sales throughout the year. Racers travel to various parts of the States as celebrities. 

The race has lost the feel of a group of Alaskan mushers who on their own dime were willing to endure the hardships of the challenge on their own. Today we see live coverage on almost every mile of the trek, mushers carrying cell phones, snow machiners following racers, crowds at every check point and endless advertising throughout the coverage. The Iditarod has become a cash cow for many and thus has lost its appeal of being unique.