Did You Know Sled Dogs are Routinely Killed?

Recently, news has been circulating about the killing of 100 huskies in Whistler, British Columbia (Canada). The mass slaughter of these 100 healthy sled dogs occurred in April 2010 and has been investigated by SPCA of British Columbia as well as RCMP (Royal Canadian Mounted Police).


The incident actually became revealed when the employee who did the killing for Outdoor Adventures Whistler, a dog sled tour company, filed for Worker's Compensation due to PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder). PETA has reported the reason for the killings is that business for dog sled operations have slowed down since the Vancouver Olympics. 


The man (employee) clearly chose to take the killing orders and also chose to kill the dogs inhumanely by both shooting and cutting their throats and then dumping them into a mass grave, yet he has claimed to be a victim and wants compensation for his acts of murder. Furthermore, this man has described to authorities how the dogs faces had to be shot multiple times and have their faces blown off. Furthermore, the dogs were killed in front of all the other dogs at the Outdoor Adventures site.  

Here is an excerpt from an article by NowPublic.

"The first significant incident occurred when he noticed a female, Nora, who he had shot approximately 20 minutes before, was crawling around in the mass grave he had dug for the animals. He had to climb down into the grave amidst the 10 or so bodies already there and put her out of her misery....He also had to perform what he describes as execution style killings where he wrestled the dogs to the ground and stood on them with one foot to shoot them."

However, according to PETA, sled dogs are routinely shot, abandoned, bludgeoned, or drowned by mushers of dog-sled operations when the dogs fall ill, run too slow, or are unneeded anymore. For example in 2005, a dog-sled tour company in Aspen, Colorado (U.S.) was exposed for killing as many as 35 dogs every year because it was "part of the circle of life" for the dogs. 

My thoughts: People everywhere use animals for various purposes, but all too often the animals become exploited and subjected to inhumane conditions. I would never support dog sled tour operations, and I encourage you to do the same if you believe sled dogs deserve to be treated with gratitude, respect, and love, rather than objects to be used and disposed. Also, sled dogs are only one among many examples of how innocent animals are harmed everyday without justice. 

sources:

Outdoor Adventures Whistler: Sled Dog Slaughter? 100 Huskies Shot http://www.nowpublic.com/world/outdoor-adventures-whistler-sled-dog-slaughter-100-huskies-shot-2752870.html#ixzz1CvYxnQzK

Dogs Killed When Dogsled Business Slows (PETA): http://ht.ly/3PIle

note: There is a facebook page that you can join for Boycotting Outdoor Adventures in BC, Whistler.