My Wet Coast Life

This week has been a hard week for any dog owner. Earlier this week, I saw the story on CKNW that last year, 100 sled dogs in Whistler were inhumanly culled. This story quickly went viral once more info came to light and outrage quickly followed when people found out Howling Dog Tours Whistler, owned by Outdoor Adventures Whistler, ordered the killing of 100 dogs in April 2010 after a post-Olympic downturn. This story only came to light because the employee who carried out the task has been granted compensation by Worksafe BC after developing post traumatic stress disorder for having to kill the 100 sled dogs over a two day period.

I am not going into the details as they are graphic but to give you an idea, the employee ran out of ammunition at one point and had to use a knife to kill an aggressive dog. Marcie Moriarty, general manager for cruelty investigations with the BC SPCA told CTVBC it's technically legal to shoot an animal, as long as it dies instantly. But continued to state "That most certainly did not happen in this instance". Moriarty added that lethal injections supervised by a veterinarian would have been the more humane way to cull the dogs. Sadly, that did not happen either.

Now a lot of people have jumped the gun and to make an informed decision, you need all the information. The guy that had to carry out this gruesome task went to the SPCA twice for adoption assistance for the dogs and was denied assistance both times. Once before the slaughter in question and a second request in September of 2010 as they still had more dogs. The SPCA admitted they didn’t realize the dogs would be brutally slaughtered and would have stepped in had they known. But instead, they told the man the dogs would not make good pets and were not adoptable. The following is from the Vancouver Sun article explaining the second request plea for help to Senior animal protection officer Eileen Drever:

The second time the man approached the SPCA was through an email dated Sept. 10, 2010 — nearly five months after the cull — asking if the SPCA would take some of the remaining dogs in the pack, which before the cull numbered about 350.

The Sun has obtained a copy of that documentation, which states: “I understood from Joey that there were to be some dogs going to you for adoption? Is that indeed happening? Or should I just show up with a truck full so they can get off the chain and get some attention, exercise, stop fighting, etc....I am happy to bring some down to stop cruelty they are going through here.

“This is me as a bystander (I am off due to injury to both arms). I am the only one who has made any effort to move dogs. We still have almost 60 dogs too many, and a new litter of pups to be given away. Can you please give me a call so I know something can be done. It’s breaking my heart.”

Drever replied five days later, apologizing for taking so long to respond as she had not been in the office.

In her email, dated Sept. 15, 2010, she wrote: “I just informed Joey that after consulting with an animal behaviourist/veterinarian we have reached the decision these dogs are not adoptable. I will however conduct an inspection of the facility.”

Drever did not end up doing the inspection in the fall. However, she did go on Tuesday along with two other SPCA animal cruelty investigators to look into the deaths of the 100 sled dogs in April. She said it was not necessary to take the remaining 150 dogs into protection.

Now it is understandable that the SPCA did not take the dogs. Why should they be responsible for helping a business when that business should have had contingency plans in place for the dogs should a downturn occur. Plus 100 dogs is a lot for any SPCA shelter to take, let alone a smaller community. If they needed to be moved, who should absorb those costs? The SPCA? The company that can no longer provide for the dogs? Even if the SPCA took the dogs, probably most would have been euthanized (but at least it would have been humane). It should be noted this guy also has 65 previous orders written against him in the past with respect to care. One would think the SPCA might have gotten involved before than?

Follow up:

So to all you band wagon jumpers who automatically assume this guy didn't do anything to try and avoid this sad outcome, you need to make sure you are informed properly. I am just as mad over all the misinformed hate filled comments I've seen on news articles, forums, blogs and Facebook posts as I am over this slaughter. Yes, what he did was wrong and in no way will I defend his actions but I do want to inform and give the bigger picture. He could have said no and walked away but he didn't and he will have to deal with his actions now for the rest of his life. For that, he should pay criminally as it was far from humane in actions or intent. But I just want to point out it was not like he selected the culling as his first and only option and probably did not expect the tragic outcome that did occur.

As for Outdoor Adventures, there is already a call to boycott the company which is understandable, they have a stake in Howling Dog Tours Whistler and should have been more aware of the dog tour company's operations and will now learn the hard way people will not stand for animal abuse and cruelty. On Facebook, there is a page boycotting Outdoor Adventures Whistler and already over 43,000 joined so far. But the sad thing is people are taking out their frustrations over this issue on Whistler and other groups or people not involved as well. This is one reason why I will not click "Like" to this page due to the hatred and anger posted by some of its members and I do not need to see that in my feed or be associated with it. The direction that group is headed is not one I personally want to be a part of.

The Municipality and innocent businesses are now going to be indirectly impacted and feel an economic hit because one company screwed up and uninformed people blame the whole town and in turn boycott it. If we thought that way and boycotted complete industries or towns when 1 person or company screwed up, there wouldn't be much business left as all industries and towns tend to have at least one black sheep present to ruin it for the rest. The sled dog company wasn't even in Whistler, but instead in Soo Valley, just outside of Whistler. But yet people still find it necessary to get the city involved. Both Tourism Whistler and Whistler/Blackcomb have removed Outdoor Adventures from their booking websites, not just the sled tours and that is proper diligence in this situation. Also, you really think city officials or other businesses and citizens would have allowed this had they known? Seriously people.

Now one thing that has resulted based on this tragedy is the B.C. Premier Gordon Campbell has ordered the creation of a task force, led by Liberal MLA Terry Lake, who is a veterinarian, and will include representation from the B.C. SPCA and the Union of B.C. Municipalities. They are tasked with investigating the killing of the 100 sled dogs in Whistler. Hopefully new protection laws will be enacted based on the task force's investigation. The B.C. SPCA is also investigating the slaughter and said it likely would recommend charges to the Crown prosecutor based on the details so far. One thing hampering the investigation is the recovery of the dog's bodies buried in the mass grave for evidence as the ground is frozen and covered in snow.

Another sad bit of news related to this is Mush with Pride, a U.S.-based group that encourages responsible sled-dog care and sets voluntary guidelines for the treatment of sled dogs, has removed the man who admitted to the slaughter from its board of directors. This just makes it worse for that guy as he was more or less went against the beliefs of a group he was a director off. This gives me even less pity for his actions and that group was right in quickly dismissing him. Now looking into this story, I know the persons name but feel he doesn't warrant anymore publicity than he has already received. Plus people are taking it on themselves, now that some people decided to publish his information, to threaten him and his family which is the wrong way to take action in my opinion. The RCMP are now investigating those threats and hopefully those idiots will learn there is a proper and improper way of doing things to be heard. Haven't we learned yet violence solves nothing but brings more violence? Apparently for some, the answer is no and they have now risked ruining there lives and possible employment with criminal charges when it wasn't necessary in the first place. Violence will not bring the dogs back.

One group that has gotten a black eye out of this is the other sled dog companies. A lot of people have branded the other companies to be just as callous when in fact they are not. Keep in mind a couple things, this form of travel is more environmentally friendly and I'd assume less damaging on the environment than a snowmobile. You do not have loud snowmobiles tearing up the back country and ruining the peace and quiet. Dog sleds as mode of transportation has been has been utilized for hunting and travel for hundreds of years. As far back as the 10th century these dogs were contributing. Up in the north, this could be the only means of travel or getting supplies for some communities. It has even been used by the postal service to deliver mail. Now the treatment of these dogs hasn't always had a good track record but with society advancing, standards and protection are improving and this appears to be the first reported case of such a cull. But with anything, a select few can ruin it for the rest. Just look at our new drink and driving laws.

I do feel sorry for one company that is probably thinking about a name change based on this and probably sooner rather than later. Canmore's Howling Dog Tours Limited which split from the Whistler company back in 2004 still has a very similar name. For under informed people, they will automatically assume same company, same practices, let's boycott when in fact they are separate and under different ownership. Regardless, a name change will probably be the only way for the Canmore company to avoid be labelled as dog killers and put some distance between it's old business partner.

And for all those raging about this issue, I ask you, when was the last time you donated money, food, supplies or your time at the SPCA or any other animal rescue/rehabilitation center? Petitions get some notice but in a couple weeks, most will have moved on to the news of that week or the next tragic story with a cause to stand behind and all of this could be easily forgotten. Also, boycotting a company will not protect other animals in need of assistance. All you will do is put a company with low moral standards and profit over anything else out of business, which is good. Rage all you want on a Facebook page as it does spark conversation (albeit good and bad) but keep in mind, only others sharing your feelings with that group will see your statements and it will eventually get be buried in with all the other posts. Did a dog now get saved because of your post? I doubt it but we will never know. But if you donate, there is a pretty good chance one or more did.

The SPCA is always in need of food and blankets or even better cash donations so they can get the supplies they need. If unsure what they need, call them. I am sure they would be more than happy to give you a list of what they need. Why not save having that daily latte or after work beer and donate that $5 (or more) to the SPCA or any other rescue agency? You can donate here, volunteer with 4,000 other people here or help with advocacy here. Say we take the 43,000+ people boycotting times $5 = $215,000+ to help rescue, assist and find homes for animals in need in BC. Put your words into actions as there are many other dogs (and cats and other small creatures) all wanting loving homes, not just the sled dogs. If you cannot donate materials or cash, why not your time to go take some for a walk or help clean the pens and feed them? I bet they will thank you with never ending enduring dog love for that.

This is my dog Wallace, he is an SPCA special. Some cruel person put him and his 3 siblings in a box and left it on Highway 1 hoping for it to be hit by traffic. He now has a safe and loving home. Why not open your home and adopt yourself and you could be getting a similar look like Wallace's daily?

Keep in mind, having a pet is a lot of responsibility and can require the same (or even more) attention than raising a child. Your life will change when you get a pet but it will be for the better as long as you adapt too. Just make sure you are prepared for that change before you commit to adoption as it is not fair to give up that dog again. Remember, dogs can live upwards of 10+ years. If your unsure, maybe borrow a friend's dog for a weekend to get a taste of it before committing the next decade plus of being responsible for a 4 legged member of the family. Just a thought.

The other sad story on animal cruelty which is helping enact change is out of Victoria. This incident occurred at the beginning of this year when a callous "roid-rage" induced man took it out and beat a 3 month old puppy to death in a hotel room. Yesterday, justice was served and Brent Malcolm Connors was handed a six month jail term. 5 months for the attack on the dog and another 30 days for possessing a controlled substance. The crown was only asking for 3-4 months but luckily, the Judge decided that wasn't enough. He must also undergo drug and alcohol treatment and luckily is not allowed to own or live with animals for 10 years. This hopefully marks a change moving forward in our legal system as this is the longest sentence of its kind in the country for this type of crime against an animal. Hopefully the length of the sentences for animal abuse and cruelty will get even longer based on the recent sled dog tragedy. We'll have to see if charges get brought against the sled dog killer which right now appear like they will be going ahead and what those charges are. That will determine what his sentence should be. If the Victoria man got 5 months for 1 dog, I hope the sled dog's killer gets a sentence respective to the 100 dogs lost. I doubt they will give him 41+ years though (5 months/dog @ 100 dogs = 41.7 years)

Enough with the sadness and tragedy. Beneficial things should come out of this so at least the dogs did not die in vain. Rather they will be remembered for being the martyrs for rallying the people of BC in getting change and better protection for animals in BC. Hopefully you also understand a bit more on this incident and can make that much more of an informed decision on this issue. Also, if you didn't know some of the above information, I hope you will use this as an example to ensure you are informed on any other issue in the future before making your judgement. It's a lot easier to take a bit more time to get informed before speaking up than to jump the gun and spend the rest of the time defending your poor, initial hasty response or apologizing for an ill-informed statement or accusation that has now irreparably harmed an innocent person or business.

Let's end this post something positive with 2 ways of putting a smile on your face courtesy of dogs. First, there is Hyperbole and Half's Dog article. It is a great read and sure to make you laugh and smile. Then we have a dog named Jessie showing just how great dogs can be.
Cheers.