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Sled Dogs Killed Because of Slow Business

Posted by Kaleel Sakakeeny on February 9, 2011 at 2:19am
9008597881?profile=originalSled Dogs Killed Because of Slow Business

A shocking report by the Associated Press claims that 100 or more sled dogs in Canada were shot and had their throats slit because of a slowdown in tourism.

The British Columbia Society Prevention Cruelty to Animals reported that a company called Outdoor Adventures Whistler expected more dog-sledding business in a post-Olympics tourism activity, and when the anticipated boom never happened, the dogs were killed last April.

The grisly story came to light according to MSNBC  when an employee of the company applied for worker’s compensation saying he “suffered post-traumatic stress after shooting the dogs and slitting their throats.”

Outdoor Adventure Whistler is the parent company of Howling Dog Tours Whistler, which offers popular dog sled tours in the winter.

The reaction from the Vancouver Humane Society was swift.

Debra Probert, executive director, called for a ban on dog sledding as a tourist activity.

MSNBC reported Probert said that society is not willing to accept that animals, particularly dogs should be killed because they are surplus or don’t suit the purpose for which they were born.”

While Probert said that the horrific incident is “the tip of the iceberg,” others said they were shocked because it was rare.

A Minneapolis couple that owns a dog-sledding business said that they had never heard the likes of it before and “the magnitude is so shocking, our heads are reeling.”

The employee responsible for killing the dogs has not been charged, but the California-based Animal League Defense Fund  is offering Canadian prosecutors money for forensics and witnesses,  and asking its members to write calling for a cancellation of the world-famous Iditarod (which I saw, and questioned) ) scheduled for March 5.

Tags: British Columbia, Canada, Dog sledding, Iditarod, alaska, animal rights-, animals, dogs, vancouver
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Comments

  • Murray Lundberg February 12, 2011 at 1:27am
    You're badmouthing and talking about shutting down an entire industry with no facts and I'M belligerent??
  • Kaleel Sakakeeny February 12, 2011 at 1:22am

    Murray. I base the comment on logic. Any deed is almost never an isolated deed, one of a kind. A bad cop, a misguided dog killer, a soldier who abuses civilians, a bullying teacher...these are never isolated examples of humans gone awry. The same applies to good deeds.

    Now, I sense a bit of a belligerent tone, and so I'm bowing out of this conversation on lne. Perhaps when we meet we can have a drink and talk further.

    Take care

    Kaaleel

  • Murray Lundberg February 12, 2011 at 1:11am

    >>I can't believe this is an isolated example.<<

    And what do you base that belief on?? How long have you been associated with sled dog sports???

     

  • Kaleel Sakakeeny February 11, 2011 at 7:17pm

    S

    Seems,  say "seems" like one bad apple but where there's smoke there's fire.  I can't believe this is an isolated example. So, does that make it 2 or 5 or 12 bad apples? At what point is one bad apple enough.

    Well this was a strange reply. Apples, smoke, fire,?

    Thanks, David!

    Kaleel

  • David Paul Appell February 11, 2011 at 6:31pm
    Horrible, horrible. But re a boycott,  I dunno. I'm a dog nut who's been dogsledding (in Canada, as it happens, but in Quebec), and they do honestly seem to love doing it. Is the whole industry truly tainted, or is it one bad apple?
  • Kaleel Sakakeeny February 10, 2011 at 9:44pm

    That's the same old argument, Murray, when they banned Greyhound racing in Massachusetts. They turned the track into a casino and reemployed the workers.

    Regarding factories that abuse humans to male a profit e.g. swet shops, etc. possibly.

    Though, as I said, I much prefer education and effective laws to punitive closings

    Cheers

  • Murray Lundberg February 10, 2011 at 9:43pm
    People who don't know huskies usually think that the dogs are FORCED to race and that puts the sport into a different category than a job. Anybody who knows these dogs knows that you don't force a husky to do anything - when they've had enough they just quit. An emotional issue? You bet it is!!!
  • Murray Lundberg February 10, 2011 at 9:40pm
    So we'll put many thousands of people out of work because of one person's actions. What about all the jobs that have "the potential to put the welfare of HUMANS second to profits" - are you going to shut them down too?????
  • Kaleel Sakakeeny February 10, 2011 at 9:26pm

    I'm sure "getting real" is a matter of interpretation. While I'm inclined to agree with you that better and more effective laws are the way to go, this is also an emotional issue for may people and "getting real" for them is banning any sport that has the potential to put the welfare of animals second to profits

    Thanks for writing in

    ks

  • Murray Lundberg February 10, 2011 at 5:57pm
    Ban the Iditarod (and hundreds of similar and smaller races, I assume?) because of one really bad person?? I did husky rescues for a few years and am one of the sponsors of an Iditarod and Yukon Quest racing team ( http://www.yukonhuskies.com/ ). I'm at least as horrified by what happened as any of you, but let's get real here.
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