Why British Columbia Leads the Way
How the British Columbia sled dog cullings of 2010 forced the industry to build a two-tier system of welfare protection the rest of the world can learn from.
British Columbia set the standard, and here is why. The sleddog industry hit the popular press after the alleged culling of c. 100 dogs by Howling Dog Tours in Whistler, Canada, in April 2010. The story blew up when the kennel manager petitioned for compensation for the mental trauma of killing that many animals by hand.
- Trigger: alleged culling of c. 100 dogs by Howling Dog Tours, Whistler, April 2010
- Official investigation cost c. $225,000, about half paid by the province
- 9 of 56 exhumed skeletons were determined to have suffered an inhumane death
- Two-tier system created: voluntary Code of Practice + enforceable Standards of Care Regulations (effective Oct 1, 2012)
- Task force made 10 recommendations to enhance sled dog health, welfare and protection
The case of the Howling Dog Tours cullings
The company had reportedly asked a vet to anaesthetise the animals, and the vet refused to put down that many healthy dogs. Outrage over the method spread fast. Campaigners called for bans on chaining dogs 24/7, on killing healthy, socially amenable dogs no longer suited to the industry, and even on the use of dogs to pull sleighs at all. That worst-case outcome loomed over the whole BC industry, the classic case of an irresponsible few drawing fire on the many.
How applicable is this case to the European sleddog industry?
Highly applicable. At the time of the cullings, standards in BC were remarkably similar to those in Scandinavia today, and clearly insufficient. Voluntary codes and 'accreditation' against PRIDE guidelines were good starting points, but with no regulations, licensing or formal code of conduct they had no legal force. The only national codes of practice in place covered cattle, sheep and pigs, exactly where Finland stands now.
Who was part of BC's Sleddog Task Force?
The BC Province, the sled dog industry, veterinarians, the BC SPCA (Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals), animal rights groups including The Ian Somerhalder Foundation and Lifeforce, Ministry of Agriculture staff and animal-welfare academics formed BC's Standard of Care working group, tasked with enhancing the health and welfare of every sled dog in B.C. and improving the industry's image.
What were the outcomes?
The task force called for a sleddog-specific 'Code of Practice', recommended best practices for commercial and recreational operators covering health, nutrition, housing, husbandry, transportation and euthanasia, and for that Code to underpin the 'Sled Dog Standards of Care Regulations', in effect from Oct. 1, 2012 and enforceable under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act.
In all it made 10 recommendations, concluding that dogs can enjoy a meaningful, positive quality of life in a sled team provided adequate standards of care for their physical and mental well-being are met.
Good to know
- Incident
- Howling Dog Tours cullings, Whistler, April 2010
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