EXPERT OPINION STATEMENT REGARDING INDUSTRIAL SLED DOG OPERATIONS

INTRODUCTION

This expert opinion is based off a review of film footage obtained in Alberta, Canada in 2019 of a legitimate, commercialized sled dog operation following industry standards-coupled with extensive research into industrialized animal abuse over the past 12 years and my 3 decades of direct experience dealing with pain and suffering in dogs in the capacity of a companion animal veterinarian in Alberta, Canada.

SLED DOG WELFARE IN CANADA

In Canada, anti-cruelty laws that would normally protect a husky kept in a home, have been suspended when that same husky pulls a sled; as now he or she is considered a ‘sled dog’ /‘working dog’.

Within the sled dog sector, voluntary standards related to the care of the animals have been developed by industry stakeholders. In 1991, a voluntary association of recreational and industry sled dog owners and operators from across Canada and the United States created Mush With P.R.I.D.E; an organization to develop sled dog care and equipment guidelines.

Mush With P.R.I.D.E. is a program that outlines sled dog welfare standards that ostensibly every musher is required to join. Critics of the program however, say it is purely nominal and has not been active for years.

More recently, the BC Sled Dog Code of Practice and the Canadian Coalition for Sled Dogs Code of Practice were drafted. These arose in response to the publicity generated around the 2010 brutal slaughter of at least fifty-six sled dogs in Whistler, British Columbia after a post- Olympic slow down .The horrific mass culling was executed by Robert Fawcett-a celebrated tour operator and then Vice President of Mush With P.R.I.D.E.-at the behest of the owner of Howling Dogs Tour Whistler Inc..

The BC Sled Dog Code of Practice and the Canadian Coalition for Sled Dogs Code of Practice are almost identical reference documents intended to serve as guidance to sled dog owners and operators, veterinarians, and law enforcement officials.

And since 1991,‘industry mushers who rely on the mass chain warehousing and factory farming of sled dogs have played a part in each and every piece of legislation and recommended practice written to date’ which served to preserve their way of life.

The sled dog industry runs commercialized for-profit enterprises. By commodifying an animal like the sled dog, there is inherent cruelty (ie: tethering, culling) and an economic incentive to minimize costs by underfeeding, skimping on bedding, withholding veterinary care, and euthanizing surplus, older, sick and otherwise unproductive animals.

By allowing industry mushers to strongly influence the setting of their own standards, it is not surprising that there are no current codes of practice for sled dog operations in North America derived purely from a welfare standpoint.

Take the contentious practice of tethering for example. The Canadian Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA) denounces tethering in their Code of Practice for Canadian Kennel Operations (third edition) (which applies to both indoor and outdoor housing designated as the dog’s primary enclosure, including group housing). In this document they state:

Tethering of dogs (i.e., chains or ropes used to tie the dog to an immovable object such as a stake or building) is not allowable as a method of confining a dog to a primary enclosure, nor as the only means of containment.

In addition, numerous studies show that tethering is an inhumane form of confinement and the practice is banned in foreign countries and in numerous US states and Canadian cities and municipalities.

‘The World Sleddog Association (WSA)-the largest organization globally dedicated to purebred sled dog racing-addresses (sled dog welfare and) tethering in its Code of Ethics for Animal Welfare, stating that ‘…this practice should be rejected by all sled dog organizations nationally and internationally. Sled dog organizations should engage with mushers practicing this with the aim to abolish this practice.”

Tethering however, is a generally accepted practice in the sled dog industry in Canada, as per page 28 of the BC Sled Dog Code of Practice, page 34 of the Canadian Coalition for Sled Dogs Code of Practice, and page 7 of the Mush With PRIDE Sled Dog Care Guidelines’(Mush with P.R.I.D.E. Sled Dog Care Guidelines, 3rd Edition, 2009).

Although the BC Sled Dog Code of Practice recommends sled dogs be let off the chain once every 24 hours; it is too vague to be meaningful (ie: can you just click the chain off the collar and then place it on again seconds later and be done?) and compliance is virtually impossible to monitor.

According to the Mush With P.R.I.D.E website, the sled dog industry feels that they can responsibly take care of our own. (https://bit.ly/2nmKjbc). However, as was evidenced by the then Vice President of PRIDE performing the brutal Whistler massacre in April 2010, and with high-profile, industry-leading mushers involved in cruelty investigations, dog doping scandals, and banishments for racing dogs to death since that time, self-regulation is not a viable option for sled dog sports.

EVALUATION OF SLED DOG WELFARE

The Five Freedoms are globally recognized as the gold standard minimums in animal welfare, encompassing both the mental and physical well-being of all animals under human control. First formalized in 1979 press statement by the UK Farm Animal Council ; the Five Freedoms have been adopted by professional groups including veterinarians, and organizations including the World Organization for Animal Health, the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, and the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

I chose the universally accepted Five Freedoms as a framework for this discussion around the conditions found in a typical operation (as shown in the video) specifically, and of the industrial sled dog industry in general, of which they are a part.

I wish to point out however, that these Five Freedoms only assure that the minimum standards relating to animal welfare are met. The European Union Welfare Quality Report, for example, recommends 30 to 50 measurements of welfare for each species. The most comprehensive welfare assessment is The 2020 Five Domains Model for Animal Welfare Assessment and Monitoring.

Even then, ‘animal welfare’ is a science-based model limited only to the objective; the measurable. Addressing “animal well-being” however, means also attending to real freedoms, including the psychological benefits for animals of choice, control and agency.

The Five Freedoms are currently stated as:

1. Freedom from hunger or thirst by ready access to fresh water and a diet to maintain full health and vigour
2. Freedom from discomfort by providing an appropriate environment including shelter and a comfortable resting area
3. Freedom from pain, injury or disease by prevention or rapid diagnosis and treatment
4. Freedom to express (most) normal behaviour by providing sufficient space, proper facilities and company of the animal’s own kind
5. Freedom from fear and distress by ensuring conditions and treatment which avoid mental suffering.

1. FREEDOM FROM HUNGER AND THIRST by ready access to fresh water and diet to maintain health and vigor.

In the video, ready access to fresh water was not apparent. Stainless steel bowls, when present were empty. These food/water bowls were made up of lightweight metal and not affixed to the ground or the doghouses and as such they were often tipped over onto the feces- and urine-stained ice.

It is plausible that a slurry is offered to the dogs that contains a certain volume of water, however, it is not possible to deliver a sufficient amount of both food and water in just the bowls seen in the video.

As per The Canadian Coalition for Sled Dogs Code of Practice (CCFSD) pg 278;

• Sled dogs must have access to palatable and clean water in adequate quantities to meet their needs and prevent dehydration.
• Sled dogs must be provided with quality stainless steel water containers that are kept clean of contamination to decrease the threat to the health or welfare of the sled dog.
• Sled dogs must be offered a minimum of 12 cups of clean, potable water per day when not working and 15 cups of clean, potable water or more per day when working.

Eating snow is not an acceptable option. Contrary to popular belief, animals cannot get adequate hydration from snow. “Eating snow is not the same as consuming water because snow is a solid that must melt before it becomes a fluid. Cells and organs in the body need water to be in a liquid state, so the body must work to heat and melt the snow once it is eaten. Because the organs must work harder to heat the ice and melt it, you will become further dehydrated rather than hydrated. You will continue to lose more water than you are taking in, even though you are hydrating the body by eating snow”.

As emphasized in the Canadian Coalition For Sled Dogs Code of Practice, ‘water is critical to survival as dehydration affects an animal’s health immediately and in extreme cases can lead to death if left untreated (Water (p15), Mush with P.R.I.D.E. Sled Dog Care Guidelines, 3rd Edition, 2009).’

The diet could not be commented on as no food was seen in the video.

2. FREEDOM FROM DISCOMFORT by providing an appropriate environment including shelter and a comfortable resting area.

The dog houses were of poor design and inadequate to ensure protection from the elements.

I will discuss the housing provided at commercial operations like the one featured in the video in relation to the Alberta SPCA requirements for a proper outdoor dog shelter shown in italics:

Insulation

All walls, roof and floor should have insulation.

There was no evidence that these houses were insulated.

Protection from the wind, rain and snow

The house should have a flap (burlap or canvas) over the door or be in a shielded location that keeps the wind, hail, rain and snow out.

There were no flaps or significant overhangs above the doors to shield from the intrusion of weather elements.

Many of the doors were either too large or centrally placed.

In order to retain body heat and prevent the intrusion of the elements (wind, rain, hail, snow), the doors should be offset and as small as possible while still allowing access.

And-just as with horse shelters- the open side should face away from the prevailing winter winds. The dog houses in this dog yard were randomly orientated with no consideration for the direction the rain, snow or hail typically originate.

Dry bedding

Straw is a great form of bedding and any moisture is drawn away from the dog.

Straw was not seen inside many dog houses and when present, was too scant to afford insulation or comfort.

The Ontario SPCA adds the following for an ideal dog house for dogs expected to live outdoors year round:

• Exteriors should be finished with a weatherproof material or non-leaded paint..
• The house should be elevated on bricks or cinder blocks to keep the floor dry.

The dog houses were all made from unprotected wood and several houses were not elevated off of the frozen ground.

(Note: Both the BC Sled Dog Code of Practice (pg 29) and the Canadian Coalition for Sled Dogs Code of Practice (pg35) do not mandate that the dog houses are insulated and rather than ‘require’ dry comfortable bedding and raising the sleeping area off the ground-they list these under ‘recommendations’ (read ‘optional’).)

The wooden dog houses range from newer to decrepit with gaps between boards. Many had evidence of chewing around the doors secondary to boredom and frustration.

The film footage was shot during a Canadian winter, yet there was either no straw or scant amounts of straw provided in the doghouses-which even then- would fail to provide any meaningful insulting effect and no additional comfort. Many of the dogs filmed sat inside their houses shivering. In some commercial sled dog operations, dogs are found frozen to death in their dog houses or dead on the end of their chains.

Prairie winters can last up to 6 months which equates to prolonged periods of cold stress endured by these dogs.

Mike Crawford, a former musher noted that male dogs urinate inside their door, which forms a block of frozen urine in the winter on top of which the dogs lay all winter long.

He also described the sled dogs hiding their feces in their doghouse during the dead of winter in order to eat them at a later time. “You walk into a dog lot at 40 below and you’ll see the dogs inside their houses shivering, eating on frozen poop — it’s pretty rough” he said in the documentary Sled Dogs.

In warm weather, these shelters provide no escape from biting insects. Flies are attracted to feces and to dead and dying tissues. Any open sores or skin lesions on the dogs can easily become maggot infested.

The hard pack was worn down into circular pattern circumscribed by the 6-foot chain attached to a central metal pole. This chain length severely restricts the movement of these highly athletic dogs and they put the dogs just out of reach of the neighboring dogs, eliminating any type of social contact.

These beaten down circular areas are frozen in the winter and muddy in the spring and wet weather. Standing water is a breeding ground for the parasite Giardia. As well, prolonged damp conditions can lead to fungal foot infections.

These dogs are forced to walk through their own excrement which was noted to be strewn about within these beaten down frozen, urine-stained hard pack circles.

3. FREEDOM FROM PAIN, INJURY, OR DISEASE by prevention or rapid diagnosis and treatment.

As the dogs are typically tethered from age 6 months onwards, there is a risk for their collars to cut into their neck as they outgrow them it if not checked frequently.

The constant irritation of the collars against their necks while pacing around in circles can cause skin conditions including hair loss, a mechanical burn and/or open sores that can lead to a serious weeping bacterial skin infection, colloquially called ‘Collar Rot”.

The sled dogs are also at risk of injury from the heavy chains they are tethered to-either by it wrapping around and strangulating a body part or catching on a part of the doghouse and compromising movement and/or breathing.

The incessant pacing, especially on ice can leave footpads raw and bleeding-a very painful condition and at risk for infection, especially in the unsanitary conditions they were forced to live in.

“Anytime temperatures are 25 degrees below zero (-4 degrees Celsius) or colder, there is a danger of frosting the feet; cracks develop between the large pad and the small pads and around the nails. These are very painful, and do not heal rapidly because as the dog walks and runs, there is constant flexion of the soles.”

– Dr. Charles Belford, veterinarian and writer

The constant exposure to their own urine and feces can lead to skin and foot conditions as well as filthy, matted coats. Flies are attracted to feces and to warm, moist areas on the body where they will lay their eggs. The resulting maggots will invade any open sores or wounds, producing toxins that can result in often fatal toxic shock.

In addition to causing skin irritation, dirty matted coats lose their insulating ability.

Dogs suffer miserably due to inadequate protection from temperature extremes; from searing heat to bone-chilling cold. Even when in their houses, the large open doors let in biting winds and pelting rain or hail. Their otherwise insulating coats get soaked by freezing rain and they sleep on bedding or bare floors soaked in urine.

It is widely accepted that sustained stress and anxiety lowers the immune system predisposing these dogs to infections, disease and delayed wound healing.

The inadequate housing (discussed earlier) that exposes them to weather extremes- day in and day- out also leaves these dogs open to dehydration, hyperthermia, frostbite (of exposed, less-haired areas like ear tips, tails, scrotum, nipples, and vulva), hypothermia and death.

It should be pointed out that the commercial dog yards are often located in remote locations, with only few handlers on-site to care for dozens to hundreds of dogs. This makes individualized attention difficult.

Some touring companies- like the one featured in the video-have no caretakers living on-site. One has to question in such a case, whether or not their dogs are attended to daily. And with lack of close supervision, certain medical conditions which can rapidly progress from early stages to critical if not detected early, will be missed.

Accidents can and do happen on the trails from run-ins with wildlife (moose, muskoxen) to being hit by snowmobilers to getting tangled in the lines to falling through ice with often deadly consequences.

“When a team of Iditarod musher Mitch Seavey’s dogs broke free from a sled, one dog was dragged to death while another was dragged for up to 2.5 miles and left urinating blood. Some dogs’ tongues froze to metal harness lines and the skin was torn off, while others’ footpads bled profusely.”

In the commercial sled dog industry, there is considerable evidence of extreme sled dog neglect and physical abuse including dogs being denied veterinary attention for wounds, injuries and illnesses; and dogs beaten for not complying. The physical, mental and emotional toll on these dogs is immeasurable.

There is also ample evidence that many dogs are pushed beyond their physical and psychological limits during endurance racing. In the Iditarod, dogs are raced approximately 100 miles daily, day and night, 9–14 days straight, over treacherous frozen terrain, through blinding snowstorms and biting gale force winds that can generate wind chills up to to minus 50 degrees Fahrenheit or more.

At least 154 dogs have died during the Iditarod race alone since 1973.The leading cause of death was bleeding stomach ulcers which resulted in acute blood loss or aspiration pneumonia ,secondary to the dogs inhaling their own stomach-acid and food-laden vomitus while racing. Stomach ulcers arise secondary to extreme prolonged exertion from running 100 miles in one day- let alone 10 back-to-back 100 mile marathons as in the Iditarod (1,150 miles) and the Yukon Quest (1,000 miles).

As many as half of the dogs racing in the Iditarod do not finish the race because of injury, exhaustion, illness or death. Orthopedic injuries and bleeding stomach ulcers occur in 40–50% of dropped dogs.

When dogs who finished the race were examined endoscopically, 40–70% of them had stomach ulcers and the pathology in their stomachs was still present after 4 months of rest.

Swollen feet and foot pads worn off to where sensitive bleeding tissue is exposed are very common. Also seen are muscle sprains, ligament tears and fractures.

Lung issues also frequently occur- from hemorrhaging into the lungs, pneumonia, pulmonary edema to permanent lung damage. ‘A large percentage (up to 80%) of racing Alaskan sled dogs develop airway dysfunction similar to ‘ski asthma’ that persists despite having 4 months of rest. These findings suggest that repeated exercise in cold conditions can lead to airway disease that does not readily resolve with cessation of exercise.”

Davis M, Williamson K, McKenzie E, Royer C, Payton M, Nelson S., “Effect of training and rest on respiratory mechanical properties in racing sled dogs.” Medicine and science in sports and exercise, 2005 Feb;37(2):337–41 on PubMed website.

Sled dogs can also develop sled dog myopathy (exertion-associated rhabdomyolysis) which involves a breakdown of the muscle tissue. When mild, it cause muscle fatigue and temporay pain and stiffnes. However when significant amount of muscle are damaged and the by-products of that damage enter the blood stream, “ it creates a severe toxicity to the liver and the kidneys which can fail either suddenly or slowly. And, because of the stress on the heart, there can be sudden heart failure or there can be irreparable damage to the heart muscle, that doesn’t manifest itself until after the end of the race, like many of other the deteriorating conditions that occur from the extreme prolonged exertion.”

Deaths that occur in the days, weeks or months following the race, including those culled for injuries or poor performance are not tracked.

4. FREEDOM TO EXPRESS NORMAL BEHAVIOR by providing sufficient space, proper facilities, and company of the animal’s own kind.

Sled dogs essentially have no physical freedom. The physical movement of these dogs who mushers claim are ‘born to run’- is highly constrained by a short heavy chain.

And the space allotted for these dogs highly mobile dogs is miniscule. When not being trained or raced, these sled dogs are tethered to a heavy 6-foot chain which circumscribes a pathetic 12-foot circle of dirt or frozen snow and ice-which is their living space for the vast majority of their lives.

It should be noted that tethering is denounced by the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association which states in their Codes of Practice For Canadian Kennel Operations-Third Edition (which includes sled dog facilities) “Tethering of dogs (i.e., chains or ropes used to tie the dog to an immoveable object such as a stake or building) is not allowable as a method of confining a dog to a primary enclosure.

Tethering also denies these pack-oriented animals interaction with their own kind. They are stationed mere inches from their neighbor, without being able to greet, sniff, play with or otherwise interact with them. It is a cruel form of torment. And for a highly gregarious species like canines, having no control over social interactions or attachments causes them significant frustration and psychological distress which is only compounded by the thwarting of numerous natural drives.

As the video footage shows, man’s best friend is also desperate for the love, attention and affection of humankind that is denied them when tethered out in these isolated dog yards.

5. FREEDOM FROM FEAR AND DISTRESS by ensuring conditions and treatment which avoid mental suffering.

The mental health of an animal is just as important as their physical health — as psychological stress can quickly transition into physical illness.

These highly intelligent and naturally social dogs are relegated to living vacuous lives at the end of a six foot chain. They are cut off from each other and the world around them and have no control over any aspect of their lives. A dog kept chained in one spot for days or months let alone years, suffers immense psychological damage.

The most severe punishment we can administer to humans, another highly intelligent and social species; is life imprisonment where all freedoms are removed; no choice on when and where to sleep, when and what to eat, when and with whom to interact with and where, when and for how long one can exercise.

Science has shown that humans and other vertebrates are similarly affected by confinement, isolation, pain and psychological, emotional, physical and social deprivations (G.A. Bradshaw, Elephants On The Edge (2009), pg 204). Life for a sled dog is essentailly a life sentence of solitary confinement.

The resultant stress, boredom and frustration can manifest as excessive chewing of their wooden doghouses, rock chewing (that can break teeth and cause gastro-intestinal obstructions), or as neurotic stereotypic behaviors like repetitive barking or incessant pacing.

Stereotypic pacing results when you frustrate the genetic programming to roam and explore in free ranging carnivores like wild canids and highly mobile dogs. And when tethered to a chain, this incessant pacing translates into a circumscribed circle that they stomp out over and over and over again. Stereotypic pacing is demonstrated by virtually all dogs in sled dog compounds where dogs are tethered.

Stereotypies are seen as negative psychological welfare indicators.

Learned helplessness is behavior exhibited by a subject after enduring repeated aversive stimuli beyond their control. This can manifest in various ways including anxiety, depression and apathy.

The anxiety and frustration created by tethering can also increase aggression and territorialism.

Dogs are naturally protective of their territory and when confronted with a perceived threat, they respond according to their fight-or-flight instinct. A chained dog unable to take flight often feels forced to fight, attacking any unfamiliar animal who encroaches on their territory.In a study of tethered dogs versus group penning ‘the most aggression occurred in the condition with the least stimulating condition, when there were fewer caregivers in the kennel and no exercise provided. When stimuli were presented, such as a caregiver walking through the grounds, dogs would react with a frustrative response which was re-directed onto neighbouring dogs… in the form of nipping neighbouring dogs’ noses and tails… (and) there was evidence that these aggressive responses were not inhibited and that injury would have occurred more frequently had the tethers allowed more contact.”

On the one hand, the Canadian Coalition For Sled Dogs Standards contends that ‘tethering is a common and traditional means of containing sled dogs’ ( page 34) yet also admits on pg 29 that social isolation is detrimental:

‘Sled dogs are very social creatures and they thrive in an environment in which they can interact with their teammates. Isolating sled dogs from the company of their teammates has been associated with an increased incidence of behavioural abnormalities”.

One way some kennel operators deal with aggression is by amputating the four canine teeth (fangs).

“The actual procedure involves manual restraint, the use of a mouth gag, and breaking off the four canine teeth near the gum line using metal snippers (large bolt or wire cutters). Typically, no anesthetic nor analgesic is used during the cutting, and no care is provided to the dog following this extremely painful procedure. Infection and chronic pain are the major complications arising from this procedure. The procedure conducted in this manner is inappropriate and inhumane.”– Canadian Veterinary Medical Association, revised 2003, website article, 2009

Debarking, a surgical mutilation of their vocal cords, is a way some operators deal with incessant barking. The scar tissue that forms can interfere with normal breathing especially during exertion.

There are also no enrichments provided to engage these very intelligent and curious minds. A barren, non-stimulating environment contributes to mental distress in these dogs.

The lack of enrichments in the dog’s ‘containment area’ runs counter to the Canadian Coalition For Sled Dog Standards which states on pg 29:

‘Both social and psychological stimulation in the containment area is extremely important for maintaining physical and mental health in sled dogs. Toys, chew bones and other safe objects with unique smells and placement can provide psychological stimulation, particularly when a variety of objects are offered in rotation.’

A freedom that is never discussed is a dog’s freedom to live- ie: not to be killed at birth, raced to death, left to die when injured or ill, or be disposed of when no longer useful.

Many sled dogs die during races, which is tragic enough, but scores more die behind the scenes.

In many racing kennels, a large number of females are bred to maximize the pool of puppies to choose their next champions from. And the vast majority of puppies who don’t make the grade, sometimes entire litters, are drowned, shot or bludgeoned with an axe handle. Iditarod mushers even have a saying about only breeding dogs if you’re prepared to drown them: “Those who cannot drown should not breed.”

Dogs who are disobedient, sick, injured, too old, too slow, have poor conformation, lack the drive or stamina, eat too slowly or are no longer productive as a breeder are also unceremoniously killed-usually shot or worse-in what is euphemistically called ‘culling”. Mass graves are common. Rehoming is rarely an option sought by these kennel operators.

“….As a dog handler myself, I rescued two old Iditarod stars before their owner ended their fame with a shot to the brain. Culling unwanted dogs is an on-going mushers’ practice and one racer had numerous pits full of dead dogs from puppies to oldsters — some skinned for parka ruffs and mittens!”

– Mike Cranford, Two Rivers, Alaska
— The Bush Blade Newspaper, serving Cook Inlet and Bush Alaska, March, 2000, website article

The culling of healthy dogs is legal in the United States and Canada, as dogs are considered property and killing them is the right of their owners. Industry mushers justify culling as the cost of doing business. Although strongly discouraged by the BC Sled Dog Code of Practice and the Canadian Coalition for Sled Dogs Code of Practice, this ‘culling’ continues. According to long-time musher Zoya DeNure, this type of selective killing is standard throughout the industry when dogs are too sick, too injured or too old to run.

This designation of dogs as ‘property’ is in stark contrast with our current understanding and appreciation of all animals -at least as far down the taxonomic scale to the earthworm- as sentient beings. So regardless of their utility to mankind-dogs are sentient-all dogs, not just some. Dogs are socially complex, endowed with intelligence and they lead rich emotional lives; capable of feeling pain and despair; or pleasure and joy. Our draconian laws and industry standards are discordant with the science and societal attitudes of our times.

The killing of healthy animals is also in direct contravention of the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association’s Animals in Sport and Competition Position Statement which “requires that the animals’ long-term welfare be considered before being obtained for use in sport or competition, extending to the development of a retirement plan. Consideration should be given to whether very young or very old animals are suitable. Every effort should be made to re-purpose or re-home animals found unsuitable for sporting or competitive events by virtue of health, age or temperament, but otherwise judged to be in good health. Euthanasia should be considered as an option only when there are significant welfare or on-going care issues. Euthanasia as a means to address the situation where an animal can no longer perform at a competitive level should be employed only where circumstances preclude animal retraining, repurposing, rehoming or retirement. The welfare of the animal is paramount in all decision-making.”

CONCLUSION

The commercial sled dog industry has commodified the sled dog. As a result, these sled dogs are factory-farmed and warehoused en masse- isolated from each other’s company and human contact, barely protected from severe weather, living on the end of short heavy chains, and forced to eat where they defecate– except for training or race day-all in the name of profit and entertainment.

Mushers readily admit that dogs are killed when deemed ‘surplus’ or no longer productive. Designated as ‘property’, these dogs can be disposed of on a whim without repercussion.

The commercial sled dog operators push their dog’s psyche, their physical structure and their physiologies to the limit- and often beyond-yet industry stakeholders are allowed to highly influence the setting of sled dog welfare standards.

As such, the already meager anti-cruelty legislation that protects ‘companion’ dogs, is suspended for ‘sled’ dogs-even if the same dog were to assume different roles. Here, members of the same species- possibly even of the same litter- are treated differently by the legal system- based entirely upon their utility to mankind.

And as a result, all of the Five Freedoms, the very minimum standards that need to be met to ensure adequate animal welfare- have been violated to various degrees.

A life without freedoms- is mere existence. And in the case of culling-a life that is disposed of for being inconvenient- is as tragic as it is deplorable.

All of the transgressions of the Five Freedoms by commercial/industrial sled dog operations, exemplified by the example in the video footage culminate in immense and sustained suffering for their sled dogs; physically, mentally and emotionally.

It is my professional opinion, that there is nothing about the industrialized sled dog operations that provide a dog a life worth living.

The mass chain warehousing of dogs-where for most of their lives the dogs are denied everything natural to them, isolated from each other, their bodies exposed to extremes of weather, day in and day out, intermittently raced to the limits that their bodies can endure and beyond, and then disposed of when injured, ill or old- is at odds with legitimate dog care and societal attitudes everywhere in the Western world. Yet somehow this suffering becomes a legally acceptable ‘industry standard’ when someone stands to profit from this abuse.

Cruelty is cruelty is cruelty; regardless of how it is justified by those who stand to gain from it. Nonetheless, in the absence of any legal protections; sled dogs cannot be victims in the eyes of the law- no matter that they are sentient beings -and no matter the levels of cruelty they must routinely endure.

Dogs are unconditional in their affection for humans, trusting by nature, and entirely beholden on humans for all of their needs. This makes dogs extremely vulnerable to us and imparts a great responsibility upon mankind. I am in full agreement with Mahatma Gandhi who once opined,

“To my mind, I hold that the more helpless a creature, the more entitled it is to protection by man from the cruelty of man.”

The standards of practice in commercial sled dog operations may be deemed legal in the eyes of the law; but they are inhumane and immoral in the eyes of the public.

In a civilized society, there is no place for the gross injustices inflicted on commercialized sled dogs purely for our entertainment, profit and glory. And the time to put ‘sled dogs’ back under the designation of ‘companion animal’ where they have always belonged- and to protect them as such- is far overdue.