Dozens of sled dogs that survived an infamous cull in Whistler three years ago are being put up for adoption.
The Whistler Sled Dog Company told CTV News it can’t make enough money during the short winter season to take proper care of the animals during the eight-month off-season.
“Operating in a market where there’s three to four months of snow versus even six months of steady snow makes a huge difference in terms of the economic viability of an operation,” said volunteer Sue Eckles.
The non-profit company took ownership of the dogs after Outdoor Adventures at Whistler, the tour operator that had 56 of them put down in April 2010, closed down.
Now 86 sled dogs need new homes, including some who witnessed the horrific slaughter.
The Whistler Animals Galore shelter has been tasked with finding owners for the animals. Director of operations Shannon Broderick said the dogs are happy, and she credits the Whistler Sled Dog Company for taking good care of them.
“I don’t think we’re cleaning up their mess. I feel like this company was cleaning up a mess when they took this on, so they stepped in when these dogs needed help and they tried their best to do what was right by them,” Broderick said.
The former owners of Outdoor Adventures at Whistler donated all the company’s assets to create the non-profit company, in a bid to reverse some of the stigma the cull had brought to the sled dog industry.
The dogs were killed by Robert Fawcett during a slump in business following the 2010 Winter Olympics.
He admitted to slaughtering them over a two-day period, after watching their conditions deteriorate to the point where they were fighting and killing each other in the kennel.
Fawcett pleaded guilty to one count of causing unnecessary pain and suffering to animals and was given three years’ probation, a $1,500 fine and ordered to complete 200 hours of community service.
For information on how to adopt one of the animals, contact the Whistler Animals Galore shelter.
With a report from CTV British Columbia’s Penny Daflos
