Sled Dog Watchdog - Sled Dog Country (Yukon)

Shoot One Dog, Shoot 74 Dogs - Perfectly Legal in the Yukon

In late June of 2006, Yukon media reported the mass slaughter of 74 dogs (originally reported as 56),
who belonged to a Dawson City area 'dog hoarder.' The dogs were killed in one shooting spree that took
place two months earlier. Area residents and the Humane Society Dawson became concerned about these
dogs' horrible situation and the RCMP were notified as well, for up to a year before the killings took place.
The dog owner moved his dogs outside of Dawson town limits to a more remote location in order to
avoid Dawson animal protection laws and the prying eyes of Dawsonites. The dogs were moved to a
property on the Dempster Highway where they suffered until their deaths. The dog killer escaped
prosecution. The story received wide exposure nationally on CBC Radio.

CBC Yukon interview about dog shootings

Sources:

Dog deaths bring laws into question (CBC)

Yukon Courts Judgement: 'Scheer v. Howe and Foesier'

Plea for Yukon animal protection legislation - Dawson Citizen's Forum

[Letter to Yukon newspapers from Andrea Lemphers - Past President/Founder of Humane
Society Yukon]:

July 6, 2006

Letter to the Editor/commentary

Should you be concerned that a man, with forethought, deliberately, systematically killed 74 dogs, simply
because he didn't want anyone else to have them?

I lie awake at night wondering how many women and children were terrified beyond speech, when they
heard why this man killed all of his dogs. How many women have heard their male partners say to them,
"If I can't have you, nobody else will."? How many children have heard it being said to their mother? It's
terrible to know that we'll never know the answers to these questions, because the victims are too scared
to seek help.

What rational and sane society would sit back, yawn, and think since it was legal, and they were just dogs,
there's nothing I can do and it doesn't concern me? Our Yukon society, the collective "we", is doing just
that.

Our collective lack of VOCAL concern sends a strong message to our politicians that "we" simply don't care
enough, about the most helpless and vulnerable victims of abuse (including abused people) in our society,
to demand change. If individual people don't speak loudly, the status quo remains unchanged, which I
find very disheartening.

"Protection of animals is part of our criminal law because a person's treatment of animals, like the
treatment of children, the infirm or other vulnerable parties, is viewed as a barometer of that person's
treatment of people. As with all other criminal offences, harming animals amounts to hurting everyone."
(Extracted from: R. v. Campbell Brown, 2004 ABPC 17: Reasons for Sentence of the Honourable Judge A.
J. Brown]

When anyone is capable of carrying out the willful slaughter of 74 pets, whether legal or not, and makes a
statement that effectively says "If I can't have them, then nobody will," it should raise alarm bells that
signal a potential threat to people may exist within our community.

The link between human violence and animal abuse is now officially recognized as being very real, and is
an issue that needs be taken very seriously, by everyone.

"Well documented cases include; Gary Ridgway, the Green River Killer, the most recent US convicted serial
killer, suffocated a cat as a child, Jeffery Dahmer, notorious serial killer impaled frogs, decapitated dogs
and staked cats to trees before turning the violence toward human victims. Luke Woodham at 16 killed his
mother and two high school students and injured seven others. Prior to this he beat his dog with clubs,
doused her with lighter fluid, set her on fire and threw her in a pond. Andrew Golden, 11, told friends he
shot dogs with a .22 all the time. He and Mitchell Johnson, 13 killed four students and one teacher
ambushed during a fire drill. Animal abuse is not a cause and effect issue but it is not surprising when
there is a link. Often the first step of violent acts is abuse of animals." [Source:
http://www.spca.bc.ca/link/research.asp]

The existing Animal Protection Act (territorial legislation) and the Criminal Code of Canada's Cruelty to
Animals Act completely failed to protect these animals from suffering distress long before they were killed.
Some of the dogs were in such horrible condition, that the Dawson City Humane Society was going out
again to seize some very distressed dogs from the owner and determine if more charges should be laid
against him. Despite their best efforts, the humane society could not save a single one of them, as [their
owner's] answer to the seizure order was to kill every single dog he owned.

Our existing territorial legislation is obviously seriously flawed and will continue to completely fail to
protect animals from suffering terrible distress over extended periods of time. Our politicians need to hear
from you that this is not acceptable.

After 18 years of unsuccessful lobbying of five successive territorial governments to amend our Animal
Protection Act, I am still steadfast in my belief that if the Animal Protection law is strong, it will have a
trickle up effect and will improve the lives of people who suffer abusive situations.

In our small community of the Yukon, it should be easy to facilitate effective cross-reporting between
agencies on the human/animal violence link, to better serve people at risk, or who are in abusive
relationships.

There is also a need for comprehensive workshops specifically dealing with animal and family protection
issues to share information and to raise awareness of the issues effecting animal welfare and social service
agencies.

In order for this to work, there must be a strong network between the various agencies. Each should be
aware of the connection between their particular area of focus and that of other professionals, effective
identification and reporting of cases and what to do with the information they have gathered.

There is a desperate need for two "special officers" who are specially trained to: investigate complaints of
animals in distress and the duties associated with it; provide public and professional workshops on the link
between human violence and animal abuse; work closely with agencies in cross-reporting; provide
education to all school age children on the responsibilities of animal ownership and care.

I am asking all of you who care, not to rely on articles such as this to be your voice. This is just me, one
voice speaking alone, and it's just not enough.

I implore you to email, or make a telephone call, or write (an anonymous call or note if you prefer) to
your Member of the Legislative assembly, to let them know that you DO care. All you need to do is tell
them that you have read this and let them know what it means to you. I would ask that you go back and
re-read the very first sentence, and then decide.

Your voice does count and it will make a difference.

Andrea Lemphers
Whitehorse, YT

Animal Rescue Links:

Humane Society Yukon - Mae Bachur Animal Shelter, Whitehorse