New regulations for sled dog owners now in effect
Posted October 13, 2012 8:24 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – As of Oct.1, people in the sled dog industry have had to comply with new regulations, thanks to the task force set up in the wake of the Whistler sled dog slaughter.
Tim Tedford with the Professional Mushers Association of BC says most operators have already been doing what the new code requires for years, because the code is based on existing best practices.
But he admits the documentation now needed for each dog, from birth to death, adds to the workload.
“We find the paperwork and the record-keeping is the most onerous task. We adopt quite a few dogs but we don’t always know their background so sometimes that makes it a bit tough to keep a good record,” he explains.
He was impressed with the number of dog owners who came out to information sessions put on by the Ministry of Agriculture over the summer, saying it shows how dedicated they are.
“Because some of those people travelled hundreds and hundreds of kilometres to be at those meetings, at their own expense, so that they could be better informed of what was required of them.”
The code also outlines a mandatory yearly vet visit for commercial sled dog operators and how to appropriately contain the dogs, exercise and feed the dogs.
Tedford and his family operate a sled dog tour operation near Big White, east of Kelowna.
