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13 April 2011
Sled dogs
I was a participant on the B.C. Government Sled Dog Task Force Inquiry. Headlining an article on the report with "B.C. crackdown won't ban sled-dog culls" is misleading. It suggests the report condones or facilitates shooting healthy dogs. In fact all the recommendations of the report are about establishing and enforcing good standards of care for sled dogs, including provision for un-employed sled dogs. Shooting healthy dogs is illegal. That kind of cull is already banned. The report does point out that when a dog is so far from veterinary assistance its misery would be prolonged in reaching it, the expert use of a firearm may be warranted. We know this happens in remote places and sometimes the use of a firearm is not expert.
The ultimate solution is to have veterinary assistance available and affordable in remote places.
- Dorris Heffron, Clarksburg, Ontario
www.dorrisheffron.ca