Sled dog cull in Whistler BC (downturn, fence, claim, gun)

[Gary Siete]

SPCA investigates slaughter of 100 Whistler sled dogs (http://www.vancouversun.com/news/sled+dogs+slaughtered+Whistler+when+tourism+slumpe d+Report/4196610/story.html#ixzz1CgmxOBSj - broken link)

The “execution-style” mass cull of 100 sled dogs owned by Whistler-based Outdoor Adventures, following a downturn in business after the Olympics, came to light because of a successful workman's comp claim for post-traumatic stress by the employee who killed the dogs.

“In the past, his practice when euthanizing a dog was to take it for a walk in the woods and give them a nice meat meal to distract them. He would use a gun to euthanize the dogs,”

However, because of the large number of dogs he said he was forced to euthanize the dogs in full view of the other dogs and by about the 15th dog it appeared to him “the dogs were experiencing anxiety and stress from observing the euthanasia of other members of the pack and were panicking.”

“The way this employee describes it — it’s a massacre absolutely — a criminal code offence. These dogs were killed in front of the other dogs that were all tethered up on the compound

Photos of happy sled dogs:
http://www.vancouversun.com/news/sled+dogs+slaughtered+Whistler+when+tourism+slumpe d+Report/4196610/story.html?tab=PHOT (broken link)

[OhBeeHave]

This is completely heart-breaking. So many different rescue groups out there -- didn't anyone try to place these poor creatures?

I feel for the employee who was placed in the position of killing the dogs.

This story sickens me.

[LuckyGem]

This is already a thread here, I saw it yesterday.

//www.city-data.com/forum/polit...aughtered.html

[AuDiBelle]

Well I would HOPE that anyone engaged in mass murdering 100+ dogs would experience PTSD. And no, I do not feel sorry for him one bit. He could have refused. He could have tried (harder) to place the dogs with rescues.

Not even the veterinarian would partake in this mass murder of healthy, innocent animals.

My only hope in all of this is that it brings some much needed attention to the plight of sled dogs, who are tethered to barrels or crates in freezing temperatures.

Moriarty said from what she’s read so far in the report “many people will be shocked” not only about the culling but how sled dogs are treated in general.
“There is a problem with the sled dog industry in general. People see these 20 sled dogs, an idyllic setting with snow in the background and think how great. But what they don’t see is the 200 dogs tethered and sleeping out back, chained to a barrel.”