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Sled dog slaughter ushers in new animal cruelty laws

Premier Christy Clark calls the laws the 'toughest anywhere in Canada'

The province is rolling out a host of reforms to address animal cruelty and at least one dog sled operator in Whistler is satisfied with them.

Premier Christy Clark announced Tuesday morning that the province is introducing the "toughest animal cruelty laws anywhere in Canada."

"British Columbians have said clearly that cruel or inhumane treatment of sled dogs or any other animal is simply not acceptable," Clark said in a news release.

"That's why we are acting on the recommendations of the Sled Dog Task Force and sending a strong message that those who engage in that type of behaviour will be punished under tough news laws."

The release goes on to say that the province will "immediately begin" making changes to the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, including penalties of up to $75,000 and 24 months in prison for the most serious offences. The province also plans to extend the current six-month limitation period for prosecuting offences and will require mandatory reporting of animal abuse by veterinarians.

The BC SPCA, meanwhile, is getting a $100,000 grant to enhance its capacity to conduct animal cruelty investigations.

The report was good news for Jamie Hargrave, who runs Trapper's Run, a dog sled operation out of the Callaghan Valley.

"I'm happy with what's happened," she said of the changes, drawing particular attention to the grant for the BC SPCA.

"I think it's a well-needed grant. It's obvious that the SPCA needs more funding."

The Sled Dog Task Force was struck in early February with MLA Terry Lake in charge in response to the alleged killings of up to 100 dogs in Whistler in April of 2010. An employee of Howling Dog Tours Whistler Inc., a subcontractor to Outdoor Adventures Whistler Ltd., admitted in a WorkSafe BC filing that he had killed a substantial number of dogs and buried them in a mass grave.

Kirby Brown, vice-president of Outdoor Adventures at Whistler Ltd., said in an emailed statement that the company "fully supports" the task force's recommendations.

"Outdoor Adventures at Whistler Ltd. fully supports the B.C. Provincial Sled Dog Task Force recommendations, which will lead to strong regulations, increased oversight and the toughest animal welfare legislation in Canada," he said. "We also support the recommendation to develop standard of care and best practices guidelines for sled dog operations."

Outdoor Adventures is considering placing another 35 sled dogs in homes through WAG.

Joan McIntyre, the MLA for West Vancouver-Sea to Sky, also weighed in.

"This was decisive action that recognizes the seriousness of this act, and helps protect the industry in future," she said in a prepared statement. "Minister Lake's task force recommended comprehensive changes, including tougher laws, more funding for investigations, and a new code of practice for sled dog operators."

The dog cull stirred demonstrations throughout British Columbia and around the world, with many participants circulating a petition asking for tougher animal cruelty laws.

Last week an animal rights group took responsibility for vandalizing Outdoor's Whistler Village offices.

Members of Los Angeles-based North American Animal Liberation Front (ALF) claim to have sprayed Outdoor Adventures' head office with red paint, ruining signs and damaging the front windows.

The RCMP is investigating.

Former Premier Gordon Campbell also announced a task force that would specifically look into the sled dog industry and make actionable recommendations for the provincial government.

The task force came up with 10 recommendations in total, including the changes cited above. It recommended that the Government of Canada consider strengthening the Criminal Code provisions relating to animal cruelty; enhance the ability of the BC SPCA to undertake animal cruelty investigations; and train Crown prosecutors to pursue cases of animal abuse through ongoing training.

A working group should also be established to develop a sled dog "standard of care." That group is expected to be appointed within the next two weeks.

Sled dog companies operating on Crown land are also being asked to include annual inspections by the BC SPCA or a licensed veterinarian in their management plans. In order to do this the province will "immediately begin" making changes to the Land Act.

In a news release issued Tuesday, the BC SPCA urged the province to act quickly on the task force's recommendations.

"The report contains strong recommendations which we believe will help prevent another tragedy like the devastating slaughter of the 100 Whistler-area sled dogs in April 2010," Craig Daniell, the BC SPCA's chief executive officer, said.

"It would be a huge step forward to have a code of practice that sets out clear standards for the care of sled dogs, including housing, food, water, exercise, socialization, 'retirement' plans for dogs no longer needed by an operator and acceptable forms of euthanasia."

The task force received 113 submissions from stakeholders in the sled dog industry and members of the public. Howling Dog Tours Whistler Inc. provided an unsolicited submission, explaining that the company had undertaken measures to improve the well-being of their animals.

The company committed to re-homing and adopting dogs no longer needed for their operations and getting a veterinarian to assess whether the dogs are being properly cared for.

The task force also received a petition supported by the Ian Somerhalder Foundation that had 37,464 signatures asking for changes to the province's animal protection legislation.

The task force ultimately concluded that dogs can enjoy a "meaningful and positive quality of life as part of a sled dog team" but that not all dogs are well suited to the task. The report also stated that an animal's participation on a sled team is not "inherently inhumane," as long as adequate standards of care for the animal's physical and mental well-being are provided.

The task force's work wasn't quite enough to satisfy Lush Cosmetics, an international soap company that has a location in Whistler. In early March the company put out a call to ban dog sledding immediately, believing that it has "devastating impacts" on an animal's welfare.

Brandi Halls, the company's New York-based spokeswoman, said Lush is happy to see tougher animal cruelty laws coming into force but the actions fall short because they won't address "tethering" - specifically, the act of tying a dog up in a kennel.

"We are disappointed that dog sledding is going to continue in the province," she said. "While this new regulatory authority has been appointed, we're still not yet sure what their recommendations will be and whether those are going to be acceptable."

With files from Susan Hollis