Premier Gordon Campbell has appointed Kamloops-North Thompson Liberal MLA Terry Lake to lead a task force - which will include representation from the British Columbia Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (BCSPCA) and Union of B.C. Municipalities - to review the circumstances related to the reported sled-dog killings in the Whistler area and to make recommendations to prevent such an incident from occurring again.
“The tragic and disturbing details that have emerged around how these dogs were inhumanely treated are not acceptable to British Columbians or to their government,” Campbell said.
“No creature should ever have to suffer in the manner that has been reported and we want to ensure that nothing like this ever happens again in our province.”
_The story of 100 sled dogs being shot execution-style after the Olympic Winter Games in Whistler last year is attracting world-wide attention and only came to light after the 38-year-old employee of Outdoor Adventures who killed the dogs filed a post-traumatic-stress claim with Worksafe BC.
“As a veterinarian, I was shocked and saddened by the description of the terrible treatment these dogs were reported to have been subjected to,” Lake said.
“We will undertake a thorough, detailed examination of the circumstances surrounding this case to ensure we take all steps necessary to ensure dogs in the dog-sledding industry are treated humanely.”
Subsequently, questions have been raised around when the employee first contacted authorities about the cull, why WorkSafe BC did not provide information on the killing of the dogs to the appropriate authorities and broader issues around the regulation and oversight of the dog sledding industry.
The task force’s review will examine the circumstances leading up to the killing of the dogs, as well as the chain of events following any initial reports of the killing to WorkSafe BC or any other agencies and why the information was not relayed to appropriate authorities. The task force will also examine the regulation and oversight of the dog-sledding industry. The review will establish the circumstances surrounding this incident and issue recommendations.
The review is in addition to the ongoing investigation by the BCSPCA and the RCMP.
The review will include:
• A review of responsibilities, regulation and policy governing the dog sledding industry.
• A review of the response by all agencies involved upon being made aware of the dog killings.
• Any further issues that arise during the course of the review.
The task-force report will be completed within 45 days, forwarded to the minister of agriculture for review, then released to the public in accordance with the provisions of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act.
