100 dogs slaughtered at Whistler

The BC SPCA simply calls it a slaughter.

A major tour operator in Whistler has admitted to ordering the killing of 100 dogs, after a post-Olympic slump in bookings of dog-sled tours.

The fallout from that calculated business decision is just beginning, with one worker diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder, and a criminal investigation getting underway.

"Outdoor Adventures Whistler" ordered the killing of 100 dogs in April of last year, after a post-Olympic downturn.

Worksafe BC documents obtained by CKNW say an employee has been granted compensation after developing post traumatic stress disorder for having to kill the dogs himself over a two day period.

Lawyer Cory Steinberg says the employee "..... ended up having to do it...I guess the only way to describe it was "near misses". It wasn't always a clean, one-shot kill. Inevitably he ended up seeing and having to put the end to some horrific scenes."

Steinberg speaks on behalf of the worker who doesn't want to be named.

In most cases dogs were shot more than once, or had their throats slashed before they were pitched into what is described in the documents as a mass grave.  Some were still alive.
 
The company didn't contest the Worksafe injury claim.  In fact,  they even made a correction, where the worker stated he had killed 70 dogs, the company corrected and wrote he had actually killed 100.

The head of cruelty investigations at the BC SPCA says they are launching an investigation, after reviewing the Worksafe BC file.

Marcy Moriarty says they will be interested to find the mass grave mentioned in the documents.

She says this has been truly difficult to learn of, "...that description where he notes that one of the dogs he thought had been killed was crawling around in this mass grave.....honestly I had to put down the story then."

She says it's a dirty secret of the industry that so many dogs are bred purely out of greed.

Moriarty says there appears to have been breaches of the animal cruelty act in the cull and criminal charges are a possibility.

"Outdoor Adventures at Whistler" has issued a statement in response to the story.
 
Spokesperson Graham Aldcroft says  "the events are tragic and regrettable."
 
He says while we were aware of the relocation and euthanization of dogs at "Howling Dog Tours" we  were completely unaware of the details of the incident until we read them in the WCB document yesterday.
 
Aldcroft goes on to say while "Outdoor Adventures" had a financial interest in "Howling Dogs" for four years the operational control of the company was with the employee referred to in the WCB ruling.
 
In May however Outdoor Adventures took control of 'Howling Dogs.'
 
Since then Aldcroft says significant changes have been made to ensure humane treatment of the dogs and improved safety protocols of the operation.

By Kim Pemberton 31 Jan 2011   
 
Susie's death didn't come quickly among the 100 sled dogs slaughtered after they had outlived their usefulness to Outdoor Adventures, which had used them as sled dogs to entertain the Olympic visitors in Whistler. The general manager who had been ordered to do the killings had shot out Susie's left side of her cheekbone but she didn't die. Instead, with her eyeball hanging out of its socket she tried vainly to escape after the man made the mistake of letting go of the leash and she was able to run off. The unidentified employee then had to track the Husky down using a scope on his firearm to end this poor animal's life.

Then there was Nora who the manager noticed crawling among the 10 or more dead dogs about 20 minutes after he shot her outside the company's compound and buried in a mass grave. The man had to climb down into the pit to "put her out of her misery."

These were just two of the horrific stories contained in a heavily censored report filed by the man to WorkSafeBC, the first level of review at the provincial workers compensation board. He claimed he had suffered from post traumatic stress. The man is being represented by Whistler lawyer Cory Steinberg, who just moments ago cancelled a noon press conference he had called to deal with the deluge of media calls. I've been trying to reach him since 8 a.m. after being assigned this story, which you can read here. I've also been trying unsuccessfully to reach Outdoors Adventures spokesman Graham Aldcroft, who issued a press release calling the culling "regrettable." His statement appears to point the finger as well at Howling Dog Tours a company owned by 29-year-old Joey Houssain, who also isn't returning my phone calls. A corporate search of both companies lists Houssain as the director with both.

Here's Aldcroft's statement: "While we were aware of the relocation and euthanization of dogs at "Howling Dog Tours" we were completely unaware of the details of the incident until reading the WCB document Sunday," he stated in the release. Aldcroft then goes on to say there are no longer any firearms on site and when a dog has to be euthanized the animal is taken to a veterinarian.

So it appears Outdoor Adventures is trying to distance its finacial stake in the company Howling Dog Tours. Like you, I have a lot of questions to ask both Aldcroft and Houssain beginning not only with the slaughter of the 100 sled dogs but how they are treating the dogs they currently have and why is it necessary for any healthy dog to be taken to the vet's to be "euthanized"?

I was able to reach BC SPCA head of animal cruelty investigations Marcie Moriarty today who told me perhaps now the public will finally realize that the majority of sled dog operations treat their dogs badly. She said what the public doesn't see are how dogs spend their lives tethered to chains outdoors. I've included photos of the SPCA's general campaign to educate the public that no dog deserves to live a life chained outdoors.

"I'm glad a light is finally being shed on this industry. I just shudder when I see the ads for sled dog tours because I know how the majority are living," she said.

"People see these 20 dogs in an idyllic setting with snow in the background and think how great. But what they don't see is the 200  dogs tethered and sleeping out back, chained to a barrel."

We don't know how Outdoor Adventures or Howling Dog Tours currently treats their working animals but how they dispatched them makes me wonder why anyone would want to support such a business?"

Bassman wrote: Pat, that's how I picked up Tia in the early 90's was from that idiot in Whistler, some things don't change...but makes you think about the rest of the world and how the dogs are treated...

Brian, I remember you telling me that. I didn't want to say anything unless you brought it up.

I went there and made him a offer, he said, no, come back in a week and if she's alive you can have her, but he knew she would not make it and that's what he was worried about...a fricken refund!!!, I didn't care about that but he didn't care...so with a few staff that worked for me, we went in the middle of the night and dog napped her...amazing girl she was:)

When she was a pup:

As an adult:

Now, I'm no laywer, but don't you think that in posting the personal information of people who are naturally hated might look suspicious if something does happen to them? This is public domain, after all: Anyone can view it.

Just, you know, something to think about.