Apparently the man who slaughtered the dogs asked for help, not once but TWICE. The first time he was turned down because according to the "experts" at the SPCA, sled dogs were not "adoptable". The second time (5 months later) .. see below:
Five months after the cull, which sent the man into major post-traumatic stress disorder, he once again contacted the SPCA, looking for homes for some of the pack’s remaining dogs. The Sun obtained a copy of the email he sent. It states:
“I understood…that there were to be some dogs going to you for adoption? Is that indeed happening? Or should I just show up with a truck full so they can get off the chain and get some attention, exercise, stop fighting, etc….I am happy to bring some down to stop cruelty they are going through here.
“This is me as a bystander (I am off due to injury to both arms). I am the only one who has made any effort to move dogs. We still have almost 60 dogs too many, and a new litter of pups to be given away. Can you please give me a call so I know something can be done. It’s breaking my heart.”
Drever wrote back once again that after consulting with behaviorists, she has deemed the animals unadoptable. She said she would conduct an inspection of the Outdoor Adventures facility. She never did.The reality is that when animals are perceived merely as "profit", bad things happen to them. When their usefulness in terms of serving the company ends, they are seeb as liabilities - and treated not like living, breathing creatures but rather, as disposable (usually in the cheapest way). There have been issues before with how sled dogs used in businesses are treated; legislation needs to happen that ensures there is a retirement plan in place or at the very least, that the number of dogs are restricted to what is able to be handled both when business is brisk and when it slows down.
While the BC SPCA should not have been left with the responsibility of being dumped with 100+, largely unadoptable dogs because a profitable company decided they were now a liability - they SHOULD have investigated and ensured that when THEY turned them down, there were alternative plans in place. That is ostensibly the RESPONSIBILITY of any humane society!
There are many villians in this sad, tragic story - and each must be made to shoulder their share of the responsiblity.
the losers in all this were the dogs that met such a cruel end.
I like some of what Marcie Moriarty is saying about moral responsibility (lacking in OAW) and compensating for a crime (WorkSafe BC), and I can understand that BC SPCA doesn't want to (and probably doesn't have the funds to) take on large-scale hoarding situations, failed dogsled operations and big puppy-mill busts. But, gee, it comes with the territory. And that's what Nathan Winograd keeps hammering into us. Deal with it, BC SPCA. Don't tell us it's not your job, and kick back when investigations need to be done.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.petconnection.com/blog/2011/02/02/shelter-twice-refused-to-help-sled-dogs/