WHISTLER (NEWS1130) - The SPCA calls it horrifying and an incident of massacre. One hundred healthy sled dogs were slaughtered by an employee of a tourism operator in the Whistler-area.
The dogs were apparently put down last April because Outdoor Adventures Whistler didn't get the boost in business expected after the 2010 Olympics.
Marcie Moriarty with the SPCA tells News1130 an investigation is being launched. "We'll have to be able to locate this 'mass grave.' In my opinion, what was done was absolutely criminal. The descriptions of how he killed them, with a knife or mis-shot, that's criminal code. It is an offence to cause pain and suffering to an animal."
She adds the worker who killed the dogs went to WorkSafe BC claiming post-traumatic stress. "His comments describe how these animals were, with their heads blown off, half crawling. They most certainly did not die instantly, at least some of them."
Howling Dogs operator called 'caring'
Corey Steinberg with the Double Diamond Law Corporation is the lawyer for the man who killed the dogs. He spoke with CityTV and tried to explain his client's actions. "He's really an expert in dogs and... is an extremely caring person. He loved these dogs like a person I've never seen and unfortunately, the only way to put it, he found himself backed into a corner."
He adds the man did try to find homes for the dogs, and tried to find a veterinarian to euthanize the animals humanely, but was ultimately left to 'do it on his own.'
Outdoor Adventures Whistler has issued a statement calling the killings "tragic and regrettable." It says when the dogs were killed the pack was operated by another outfitter,
Howling Dog Tours, which was controlled by the man who's admitted
shooting the dogs.
The incident has the Vancouver Humane Society calling for a ban on sled dog tour businesses.
Tourism industry takes action
Tourism Whistler has
suspended sales for Outdoor Adventures on its website and it's offering
refunds to anyone who wants their money back.
Breton Murphy with Tourism Whistler says it's important to note the claims against the company are just that right now - claims. "Let's be careful about making a decision about anything until we have all the information we need," Murphy cautions.
He points out Outdoor Adventures has been a popular attraction with
tourists, and there has never been a complaint against the company
before.
Reaction on Whistler streets
Jennifer Miller is an editor with the Whistler Question and has been covering this story.
"People are getting up-in-arms about the company. There's talk of picketing the company's storefront in the village. People are really upset around town," she observes.
She says people have posted disturbing comments on her newspaper's website like, "Nice town you got there. When is the kitten roast?"
Karen Horak with Mountain FM in Whistler says people there can't believe what happened.
"People in Whistler especially are known for being dog-loving people and
so everyone is extremely sad that this has happened," she laments. She believes tourists will be a bit more vigilant when they book their tours from now on.
Rescue organization weighs in
News1130 spoke with a sled dog rescuer who says the whole situation is terrible. Sally Swan runs Dog Power Adventures in Prince George.
She says Outdoor Adventures Whistler tried to give the dogs away, advertising for at least six months that the dogs were available for free to good homes.
Swan believes the sled dogging community could have helped out if the company had admitted how desperate it was. She says sled dogs need to be rehabilitated before they can be family pets. They are solitary animals used to running, and in a house they're afraid of the floor, of stairs, and of people.