The Whistler 100
He is your friend, your partner, your defender, your dog. You are his life, his love, his leader. He will be yours, faithful and true, to the last beat of his heart. You owe it to him to be worthy of such devotion. – Unknown
The Whistler dog sled killing definitely hit home for many involved in the sled dog sport as well as animal lovers across the nation. For the mushers who do love their sled dogs and care for them with the utmost respect and care, it is hard to believe that anyone could ever perform such a heinous act. The mushers who are credible implement an adoption program for their retired sled dogs or keep them as their own pets but to “cull” dogs simply because of bad business decisions is heartless. We feel treating sled dogs or any animal for that matter as though they are a disposal commodity is disgusting. Please read the following article for the full story: http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/TopStories/20110131/bc-sled-dogs-killed-110131/ Snowy Owl Sled Dog Tours since its beginnings in 1983 has provided readers, guests and supporters with the information on our sled dogs and their dog care – not just when a situation like this arises as some have done, but we have always provided this information to you to make you aware of what is acceptable within our industry. We have always felt this information should be offered to anyone who is interested as we believe the more honestly informed and educated our guests and associates, the better for all, especially the sled dogs. “Culling” is not, nor has it ever been, practised here at Snowy Owl Sled Dog Tours. We implemented an adoption program when our company was first developed in order to ensure that once a sled dog has retired from doing what they love – they have a place to go to as we will not allow our old dogs to pull sleds for their entire life. If we ever have to say goodbye to one of our 4-legged family members due to terminal illness for example, or birth defects that will cause them pain and anguish, we make an appointment with our vet to euthanize the dog humanely while they are surrounded by the people who love them with all their hearts and souls, as family is. Proper, humane breeding protocol is important and it all goes back to how the kennel is kept and managed. Please read about our breeding program, adoption program, and kennel set up to read more about humane kennel management. What does Snowy Owl intend to do about the issues in the dog sledding industry? Snowy Owl has always been dedicated to the DOGS and their wellbeing so we have always been actively educating the public on sled dogs and their care and how to identify legitimate sled dog operations vs. illegitimate. We will continue to do this for the rest of our lives. This is our unwavering commitment. We have also been actively involved in establishing the International Sled Dog Coalition which was formed in order to create enforceable rules, regulations, licensing, kennel inspections and so much more. Being involved in our industry for the past 30 years, we are very aware of certain dog sledders in our industry who have not developed proper standards of which this new coalition will assist by helping them to become more responsible and better educated, or ultimately prevent them from participating in the sled dog sport at all. We guarantee that we will continue to advocate and create better standards in dog care and do our very best to lead by example so that our world industry and especially Canada and Alberta can be proud of their sled dog heritage.
The greatness of a Nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated. – Mahatma Gandhi
