Sled Dog Code of Practice adopted

In an effort to prevent another sled dog slaughter like the one in Whistler, the B. C. government has created Canada’s first Sled Dog Code of Practice and standards of care regulations that will add a new layer of protection for the dogs, such as requiring operators to have a lifetime plan for their care.

But the BC SPCA said while it is a good “first step” the government has failed to ensure the rules will be enforced or best practice codes followed.

“The government has to have bodies on the ground and significant funding to enforce it [ the regulations],” said SPCA spokeswoman Lorie Chortyk Monday.

“We have 26 [ animal protection] constables for the entire province doing more than 7,000 [ animal complaint] investigations a year. We can’t take on doing site visits. The government has made it clear to us they are not going to provide any funding to us for animal protection.”

She noted the BC SPCA, which gets all of its funding from private donations, doesn’t have the resources to check whether operators are following the rules, such as a new requirement to let the dogs off their tethers at least once in 24 hours for exercise and socialization.

She said the SPCA, which was part of the working group that created the documents, had pushed for an industry standard of the dogs not being tethered at all but it was rejected by the majority of the group, which included sled dog industry representatives, veterinarians, animal welfare academics and ministry of agriculture staff.

Agriculture Minister Don Mcrae said he’s satisfied the BC SPCA will be able to respond to concerns about sled dogs just as they do now for any other animal protection complaint.

“I don’t see this as being any different,” he said.

He said the Sled Dog Code of Practices and standards of care regulations were in response to “the horrific events at Whistler” nearly two years ago.

Mcrae added this has also created awareness among the public who will make sure sled dog operators are accountable and the dogs are being cared for properly.

The working group to create the code and regulations was struck two weeks after the provincial Sled Dog Task Force released its recommendations in April 2011, one of which called for standards of care regulations.

In April 2010, 52 sled dogs owned by Outdoor Adventures were killed.

No criminal charges have been laid to date.