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More questions than answers in dog deaths

It has been a gut-wrenching week for Whistler. With one of the community's greatest achievements, the 2010 Games, being linked to the alleged killing of 100 sled dogs no one has been left untouched.

It has been a gut-wrenching week for Whistler.

With one of the community's greatest achievements, the 2010 Games, being linked to the alleged killing of 100 sled dogs no one has been left untouched.

The suggestion that a company would build up capacity to prepare for the Games only to find it has way too much stock post-event is hardly a new story when it comes to mega events. But when the stock is a living thing and the solution is shooting or slitting an animal's throat the reality is hard to take.

We hear of human tragedy every day but somehow it's the story of the blue-eyed, fluffy-tailed dog being repeatedly shot or slashed to death that has left us shaking.

It's hard to understand. Above all else Whistler takes care of its community members. This would not have been the first time that Whistler Animals Galore (WAG) helped to place scores of dogs.

Many in the community are now asking themselves how we can make sure that something like this can't happen here. And that is important.

But the community also has to deal with the here and now as the headlines of this atrocity have the capacity to impact Whistler's continued success.

Sure, many visitors will differentiate between one man's action and a whole resort, but part of that reasoning will be based on how the community responds.

Leaders have to speak out: the world needs to understand in no uncertain terms that the slaughter as described by the killer in documents used to get himself worker's compensation is abhorrent to Whistler.

We are a dog-loving town. Many of our hotels welcome their four-legged friends, some offering special pet-get-away packages.

There's no doubt that sledding companies are going to feel an impact.

They were quick to reach out to the media this week with invitations to come see how they work, to see how well their animals are kept to try and make sure that the industry as a whole isn't painted with the same brush.

But will it be enough?

What's going to happen to all those employees, what's going to happen to the remaining sled dogs if business drops off too much?

The story is a stone in our pond. The ripples are spreading out now beyond the initial disbelief.

It's in the media in Australia, Europe, the U.S. and beyond.

A Facebook site calling for a boycott of the company involved, Whistler Outdoor Adventures, now has tens of thousands of members.

One comment on a social site said, "RIP Whistler, B.C." Another described the town as "dog-murder capital."

Whistler Blackcomb, Tourism Whistler, local government - they are all receiving calls and emails and comments about the story.

Those associated with the dog sledding company are being threatened; the town is being threatened.

Tourism Whistler has now not only stopped taking bookings through its website for dog sled tours with Whistler Outdoor Adventures, it has stopped booking all activities with the company.

The company itself has suspended its dog sled operations.

One can ask what choice did the organizations have? The explosive spread of the story through social networking meant a conclusive and firm message had to be sent.

But while this is a gut-wrenching story we need to take a deep breath - a very deep breath.

The threats of violence go too far. No doubt action is demanded but what is needed here is a full investigation of the circumstances around the culling of the dogs.

The SPCA, the lead agency for the investigation, needs to resolve it. It knows where the mass grave of these slaughtered dogs is and it needs to do a preliminary investigation of the site now - not leave it for months, allowing anger to simmer only to flare up again in the spring.

It also needs to explain its own role in light of the fact that the man who killed the dogs asked them for help to re-home more dogs twice after the killings, according to a Vancouver Sun article.

This is not the first time Whistler has dealt with complaints about dog sledding conditions. Maybe it's time for some sort of regulation around the industry beyond the business licence. At least one local operator has said publicly that he would welcome more inspections and oversight.

While emotions are high the suggestion has appeal, but monitoring for compliance and implementing change will cost money at a time when the town is already in a belt-tightening cycle.

The provincial government should look at its laws around animal husbandry. Perhaps fines need to increase as a deterrent, and perhaps the federal government needs to strengthen penalties for animal abuse in the Criminal Code.

Currently, under the Cruelty to Animals Act, the courts can impose a lifetime ban on owning or possessing animals, up to six months in jail and a fine of up to $5,000 for a first offence. But these penalties are uncommon.

And what about funding animal abuse investigations? Right now the province gives zero funding to those though the BC SPCA has spent about $2 million on investigations out of its fundraising budget.

Beyond that maybe we all need to examine our relationships with animals.

I have spent many a weekend at WAG volunteering and though it's a no kill shelter the stories of how animals end up there is often heartbreaking.

Animals have the luxury there of staying until a good home or foster home is found; other animals across Canada are not so lucky. Though there are no figures for Canada, U.S. stats show that a cat or dog is put down every eight seconds, many, many of those because no one wanted them.

There are no headlines for those creatures.