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A filmmaker and animal lover argues the sport is one of cruelty and exploitation, an assertion avid dog sledders reject. Heres abcs Clayton Sandell. Reporter a mystical tradition centuries old. Its a really cool thing to travel with these dogs. Reporter the storied last great race, the eye rit rod, traverses over 1,000 miles of alaskan wilderness. The experiences that you have out there are phenomenal. Reporter man and mans best friend braving subzero temperatures, extreme test of teamwork and endurance. Theyre athletes. These dogs are very enthusiastic. Reporter beyond the wreaths and prize money, behind the iceblue eyes and shiny coats, some allege lies a bitter story. Last month, another sports doping scandal, this time with dogs. When iditarod officials said four tested positive for a banned painkiller. This is the first year in 25 years that weve had a positive test. Reporter dallas sievy, a fourtime iditarod champ, denies drugging the dogs on his team and says any tampering may have happened after the race while his dogs were unattended. I have done nothing wrong. I have never knowingly broken any race rule. I have never given any banned substance to my dogs. Reporter but a controversial new documentary called sled dogs they have no idea what is going on. Reporter claims that neglect, cruelty, and abuse in the world of dog sledding is common practice. Its kind of like somebody running a marathon. And tomorrow were going to go run another marathon. And now somebody asks you to run ten in a row. Thats what these guys are doing. If we knew that what was really going on behind the sled dog industry, that these dogs are in fact used and abused, for mushers to make a profit, the public would not support this. Reporter director fern leaven wants her film to be the black fish of dog sledding. A whale has eaten one of the trainers. Reporter a reference to the 2013 documentary credited with helping end killer whale shows at seaworld. I made this film for the public because i wanted the public to see the reality that theyve never been seen before. Reporter leavitt said she decided to focus on changing the industry after adopting her own retired sled dog. When you hear about these sled dogs you hear, they love doing this. They love running with their buddies. They love going out there and hitting the trail. This is what theyre bred for, this is what theyre built for. Yeah, thats the narrative that ive heard. That was the narrative i believed was true as well. But then what i found out is, this is a business. And these mushers who run these places are here to make money. Reporter sled sled dogs follows rookie patrick beal during the 2016 iditarod. My name is patrick. My quest is to seek the holy grail. Reporter as the race grinds on guys just dont want the water, do you. Reporter leavitt claims the dogs on his team are too exhausted to even eat or drink. I have a dog that has a high heart rate. Its a warm day. Every now and then dogs get diarrhea. Reporter the film shows a veterinarian cautioning beal. His heart rate, you know, about 120, which is right at the very max. Im a little worried about him. Reporter but he decides to continue the race anyway. Patrick put his own needs to win that race ahead of whats best for that dog. That was a sick dog that needed to be dropped this that wasnt dropped, because his motivation was winning the race. Reporter but beal says the filmmakers werent even there for what happened next. When i left, the dogs heart rate was fine. It had hit an equilibrium point. And that dog finished iditarod with me. Its not like someone goes and gets into running sled dogs because they want to abandon dogs and mistreat dogs. And especially iditarod mushers. Reporter many in the dog sledding communitisy that the film is flawed. Her ref futuretation was distorted. Reporter hes the chief advice narian for the iditarod for 23 years. These dogs have a very specific purpose, very specific talent. These dogs are bred very specifically as marathon athletes. Thats what they do. Thats what their passion is for. Eye rit rod says youre an Animal Rights activist with an agenda. What do you say to that . I do of love animals, theres no question that i do. But i did this because this was a story kept hidden. And i knew that i had to, as a documentary filmmaker, bring this to light. Reporter in response to last years doping scandal the iditarod strengthened its rules. The musher wants to see the drug test results and methodology adding, i believe this is the first positive step that can be taken to shed a public light on what has been alleged, to clear my good name and the name of our beloved sport. In sled dogs leavitt takes aim at tethering, something she says amounts to a dog spending its entire life on a leash. This goes against the Natural Instincts and the natural behavior of dogs. When you think about it, what species, what any kind of species, is going to survive and thrive living its life on the end of a chain . Reporter one of the sled dog kennels shown is krablunik, located in colorado. Some of the dogs here have run the iditarod. These dogs are here to be stored until they make money. Reporter the documentary looks at local activists attempts to shut it down starting in 2008, claiming the to gets were horribly mistreated. I saw dogs circling on their chains for hours. Circle and circle and circle. I saw no people providing any care for the dogs. Muddy grounds, they would eat and defecate in exactly the same spot. And legally the dogs were supposed to be on sixfoot chains. I will remind everybody that im not doing anything illegal. Reporter dan was the owner at the time. Theres no violations in terms of legality. Reporter but in 2013, colorado authorities made a surprise inspection. Thats what they found eight dogs that were malnourished, some needed vet care, and dan was charged for animal cruelty on eight counts. Reporter dan died in 2016. He pleaded guilty to one count of animal cruelty. The other seven charges dismissed. I live for the day when the chains are broken and all those dogs go into loving homes where they belong. Do you want this industry shut down completely . Yes. I want this industry to be shut down completely. Just like i want the circuses to be shut down completely. Because its cruel. Reporter today its owned by danny and gina philips. In winter tourists spend hundreds for sled dog rides. They invited us in, insisting their business is not the one portrayed in the film. There have been terrible things that have happened. Dan was terrible. But it doesnt define the whole mushing community as a whole. Reporter as we walk around here, if i were here 10, 15 years ago, whats different today . The love. You know, really, thats we love these dogs. These are every minute, every waking minute with these dogs, is love. They needed us, we needed them. Reporter in the offseason the dogs are allowed to run free for an hour a day. Gina and danny admit theyre tethered the other 23, but insist theyre happy. What do you tell people who see these dogs on the tethers for 23 hours a day, and say its cruel . Its not cruel. You know, theres so much more going on than just running. Theres always something going on. Theyre cleaning or theyre petting them or brushing them or feeding them. Its just a different thought than what youre used to seeing when you see the dog in the backyard. Here its a different environment. Theyre always getting contact. Reporter after an hour of running, its snack time. Why are they howling . After every amount of care that we do with the dogs, they thank us for the care that we gave them. This is a thank you howl . This is a thank you. This is a happy howl. Lets go, guys, come on reporter seth runs the aspen animal shelter. He briefly worked at the business years ago under the previous owner. I used the word controlled chaos reporter he rescued six of the sled dogs as pets, including suri. I call my place lost dog ranch. She was my most scared dog and undersocialized. She just graduated today, this is insane, shes loving, affectionate how long . Forever, its been a process. Reporter he sit the upside is with lots of rehabilitation there can be life after a career in sledding. This is progress. This is progress. Im on a high. If i walk away with anything positive from our conversation, its that suri was hanging out with you. Reporter for nightline im Clayton Sandell in snow mass, colorado. Sled dogs is available on video on demand. Next, it took a lot of christmas magic to make this christmas classic. Director jon favreau takes us inside the making of elf. Shes nationally recognized for her compassion and care. He spent decades fighting to give families a second chance. But to help others, they first had to protect themselves. I have afib. Even for a nurse, its complicated. And it puts me at higher risk of stroke. That would be devastating. I had to learn all i could to help protect myself. Once i got the facts, my doctor and i chose xarelto®. Xarelto®. To help keep me protected. Oncedaily xarelto®, a latestgeneration blood thinner. Significantly lowers the risk of stroke in people with afib not caused by a heart valve problem. It has similar effectiveness to warfarin. Xarelto® works differently. Warfarin interferes with at least 6 bloodclotting factors. Xarelto® is selective, targeting just one critical factor interacting with less of your bodys natural bloodclotting function. For afib patients wellmanaged on warfarin, there is limited information on how xarelto® compares in reducing the risk of stroke. Dont stop taking xarelto® without talking to your doctor, as this may increase risk of stroke. While taking, you may bruise more easily, or take longer for bleeding to stop. It may increase your risk of bleeding if you take certain medicines. Xarelto® can cause serious, and in rare cases, fatal bleeding. Get help right away for unexpected bleeding, unusual bruising, or tingling. If youve had spinal anesthesia, watch for back pain or any nerve or musclerelated signs or symptoms. Do not take xarelto® if you have an artificial heart valve or abnormal bleeding. Tell your doctor before all planned medical or dental procedures. And before starting xarelto®about any conditions, such as kidney, liver, or bleeding problems. Its important to learn all you can. To help protect yourself from a stroke. Talk to your doctor about xarelto®. Theres more to know™. The ford yearend sales evente. Is here. I can guide you in . No, thanks , santa, i got this. Looks a little tight. Perfect fit. Santa needs an f150. Thats ford, americas best selling brand. Hurry in today for 0 financing for 72 months across the full line of ford cars, trucks and suvs and just announced. Get 0 apr for 72 months plus 1000 cash back take advantage of these exclusive holiday offers during the ford year end sales event. Countless ailments. Countless hours. And guess what . You can handle it all. Be a leader in your field with a bsn from strayer university. A Nursing Program created by and for nurses. Lets get it, nurses. You probably remember actor Peter Billingsley as ralphie, the young boy obsessed with getting a red rider bb gun in a christmas story. He also made a cameo in the more modern christmas classic elf. Discussing the challenges and joys of making Christmas Movie magic with director jon favreau. Santas sleigh youre going to help me make it fly. Oh, looks like we got a short on the thermal coupler. Reporter at the beginning of the movie elf, its becoming clear to will ferrells character buddy hes not exactly the santas helper he thinks he is. Oh, i know that. Hey. Reporter there i am playing the boss mingming calling him out for being the worst toymaker ever. 915 off the pace. Reporter jon favreau directed the story of a human raised by santas elves. Part of why i asked you to cameo in the film was because i wanted some of the christmas story, that good mojo. That was our goal. Were half joking. Maybe some of this will be like christmas story where every year youll watch it. Reporter a christmas story wasnt the only source of inspiration. Jon rewrote the original, darker screenplay and studied classic tv christmas specials like this one. I knew that nose would be useful someday reporter which like its namesake has gone down in history. Rudolph the rednosed reindeer had a very shiny nose reporter made in 1974, painstakingly shot frame by frame with stopmotion puppets and is the longestrunning, highestrated tv special of alltime. Buddy the elf was a kid that grew up in a christmas special. Hello, buddy. Hi, leon. Reporter to keep the look of the film like one of those old classics, favreau chose not to use modern computergenerated effects, instead went with an oldschool technique, something called forced perspective. You can see how its done in the dvd extra. You have two different sets that line up. The person in the closer set will appear to be larger than the person in the set further back. Reporter buddys elf costume was modeled after the elves outfit like hermies, the dentists. It looks almost like hes a puppet. And the tights and the boots and the hat. Then he was extremely brave, wearing that costume. Reporter when elf was made in 2003, ferrell was not yet a movie star. Fresh out of snl, he had been part of an ensemble cast in a decidedly different movie, the adult rrated comedy old school. Were going streaking one of the things that stood out to me was how the comedy is. Christmas story is funny but elf is laugh out loud funny. Okay, people, tomorrow moneying 10 00 a. M. Santas coming to town. Santa oh my god santa, here . I know him where i found the comedy was to be very sincere about the christmas story, then have him go to new york where its the real world and jimmy khan is your dad. I love you i love you i love you wow, that was weird. Reporter james khan, famous for his role with quicktempered sonny coleone in the godfather. Perfect casting with james khan, you can get in screen history cant get any more opposite. Sonny corleone, right. I am not going to tuck you in. All right, lets do this. Reporter some of the big names were unknowns at the time. Yes reporter heres a pregame of thrones dinklage in the fight scene. Call me elf one more time. Hes an angry elf. Look at you ow reporter and playing the part of the fake santa at the Department Store hot heck are you . What are you talking about . Im santa claus. No, youre not. Reporter artie lange, known for his sevenyear tenure with shock jock howard stern. He took time to come off. A big get . So great, he was happy to be there too. Reporter when he realizes santas fake, buddy gives us those nowclassic lines. All right. You smell like beef and cheese, you dont smell like santa. Improvised. I made sure i smelled like beef and cheese. I always smell like that. Im italian, it passes as cologne. Youre on a throne of lies. Improv. Throne of lies, first time i heard that is when he said it. Reporter then things got physical. Hes a fake reporter it took the Art Department weeks to build that set. And all those elaborate christmas decorations. We had one take to destroy it. Favreau says, just go nuts. Okay, what do we got here . You i know tend to cameo in them. Yeah. You play the doctor in this. Does the dna test. Ow its fun to be in the movie and see myself. What im more proud of is the voice. The narwahl comes out of the water, thats my voice. Bye, buddy, hope you find your dad. Thanks, mr. Narwal. Thats the one on tshirts and sweaters. Reporter what most people remember elf for is how much they love it and how much they want to watch it every holiday season. Its surprising how each year it just gets higher and higher on peoples lists. I wouldnt have predicted that. Running around the streets of new york, dressed as an elf, i thought, this could be my last movie. Big impact. And it went the other way. I feel so fortunate. Im so glad thats become part of the lexicon. And next, he opened his doors and his beds to the victims of hurricane harvey. Now mattress mack helping houston celebrate thanksgiving with another incredible gesture. 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Your eczema could be something called atopic dermatitis, which can be caused by inflammation under your skin. Maybe you should ask your doctor . Go to eczemaexposed. Com to learn more. Hey, girlfriend. Hows your cafe au lait . Oh, its actually. squeaking of balloon its ver. squeaking im being so serious right now. I really want to know how your coffee is. Its. squeaking of balloon, laughing i had a second balloon goodbye oof, that milk in your coffee was messing with you, wasnt it . Yeah, it happens to more people than you think. Try lactaid, its real milk, without that annoying lactose. Mmm. Good, right . Yeah. Lactaid. Its the milk that doesnt mess with you. And now, try our real sour cream. Its delicious. Finally tonight, as we get ready to give thanks tomorrow, we can count this man among our blessings. Mattress mack, who opened his Furniture Store to displaced families during hurricane harvey, is getting ready to serve up another act of grace. Preparing nearly 100,000 pounds of food to feed nearly 20,000 texans at a free thanksgiving dinner. Mack says the only requirement to come is that youve got to have a good appetite. It was the late american preacher w. T. Perkiser who said, not what we say about our blessings but how we use them is the true measure of our thanksgiving. Thank you for watching abc news. As always were online at abcnews. Com and our Nightline Facebook page. Thanks for the company, america. Good night. What do you get when you combine amazing contestants, mindblowing questions, and ridiculous amounts of money . Who wants to be a millionaire. [cheers and applause] whoo welcome to who wants to be a millionaire. We got a great game going on. Our returning contestant, an Elementary School teacher and father of two from santa rosa, california, welcome back shad willingham. Hey, thanks. [cheers and applause] thank you. Kind of amazing youre here at all, huh . Uh, well, its kind of amazing. You know, i had a slow start. Im a late bloomer in life. I was raised by a single mom, and im a high school dropout, but then i kind of found my bearings, you know, and with my familys encouragement and good people around me, i was able to, you know, eventually get to college and now ive great redemption story. Thats exactly right. All right, i love it. [cheers and applause] and youre in the middle of a great game here, with 30,000. Just 5 away from that 1 million. This next question, a chance to get to 50,000. Its that threshold, which means you cant walk out of here with anything less than 50 grand if you get this one right. All right. So lets do it right now. Lets play who wants to be a millionaire. [dramatic musical flourish] all right, no lifelines, just you and i out here. Lets take a look at your 50,000 question