Sled Dog Watchdog - Yukon Quest state sponsored sled dog cruelty

In mid-April of 2007, our organization received an email message from a senior official of the Yukon
Government's Department of Tourism and Culture. Apparently, some feathers were ruffled in those
halls of power because of our organization's criticism of their treasured nestling (the Yukon Quest
organization), and some criticism directed at Tourism Yukon itself, for sponsoring a race that was built
on dead dogs. The official wrote that "While I personally do not support your views on the Yukon
Quest, I applaud your courage and tenacity in lobbying for a cause you believe in so strongly." The
message was sent with 'High Importance' and cc'd to another 'high official' in the department.

While we as animal advocates question whether or not a public official should be giving his or her
personal views about an event that is surrounded by animal cruelty on a year-round basis, the official's
personal opinion was not necessary as the Tourism department is blatant and unashamed in its support
of the Quest. The department spends $150,000 per year to help market the Quest, money that was
supposed to help this shameful organization stand on its own two (left) feet and detach itself from 'the
government tit.' The Tourism Minister kicked in another $50,000 U.S. for extra prize money for the
2007 and 2008 Quest races. Three dogs were killed in the 2007 Quest and many dogs were injured (as
they are injured every year). The Yukon Department of Tourism and Culture has sled dog
blood on its hands.

Now that the 2007 race is only a bad nightmare, the Tourism Marketing people are off again on their
North American quest to sell this cruel race to southerners in order to attract winter tourism. Any
chance they get, the Marketing folks will rustle up a sled dog team to appear at tourism trade shows in
the south. In a recent CKRW Radio Whitehorse news report about the 'Gateway Cities' marketing
campaign, a Whitehorse-area sled dog tour business owner (thousands of visitors expected to visit his
dog yard this summer, mostly by bus tours - some of his winter adventures reportedly cost up to
$10,000), was bringing one of [Quest and Iditarod musher] Hans Gatt's dogs South to appear on some
morning TV shows. Don't expect to hear any tough questions from media about sled dog cruelty and
exploitation on these jaunts, as the Tourism department pays good money to the various media to help
with Yukon Quest advertising and to promote sled dog tourism (the aforementioned sled dog tour
business owner is also the Chairman of the Tourism Industry Association of the Yukon).

This tourism industry group also features Mr. Stephen Reynolds, Whitehorse-based Yukon Quest
Executive Director, on its board of directors. Mr. Reynolds's organization, when publicly challenged
about allegations of Yukon Quest animal cruelty, NEVER seriously responds to questions or criticisms,
other than offering up silly little quotes such as "people need to realize that these are not your average
dogs who sit on the couch" or "these dogs are highly trained athletes!" When dogs die in the race,
the Quest makes a statement that the dogs were like "members of the family"... (a very
dysfunctional and abusive family, that is). For these reasons and more, this cowardly
organization should be publicly accountable for the large amount of public money it
receives from public sources.

When it comes to animal welfare, the Government of Yukon has its priorities 'ass-backwards', (as they
say in the Yukon) by promoting a race for which dogs are bred to race in, and for which dogs are killed
during the race and throughout the rest of the year (surplus dogs and puppies are apparently killed,
not always using humane methods), when so much money and resources are needed to improve
animal welfare and to promote humane education in the Yukon. Yukon school teachers instead
promote the Quest to school children in Yukon classrooms (with the blessing of the Yukon Minister of
Education and Yukon Teachers' Association). But when you look to the resumes of Yukon politicians
currently and in the past, Yukon politicians are 'crazy about the Quest' and don't care if sled dogs suffer
and die because 'animals don't vote.'

'Ass-backwards priorities':

[Excerpt from 2007/2008 Yukon Budget Address - Dennis Fentie, Premier of Yukon]

The Department of Environment is working with the Yukon Outfitters' Association and the Teslin Tlingit
Council to develop a new initiative to train Yukon residents in big game guiding and horse wrangling.

The program is designed around an apprenticeship style format and is intended to provide the industry
with a pool of trained individuals while encouraging more Yukoners to become involved in big game
guiding.

Mr. Speaker, $105,000 is being provided under the Northern Strategy Fund for this new initiative.

[Yukon 'tourist trap']

Trapline tourism? (Only in the Yukon!)

Yukon Party (current party in power) Yukon Quest/sled dog tourism/big game outfitting
connections (from Yukon Legislature 'bios'):

Brad Cathers, MLA - Lake Laberge - (Minister of Health and Social Services)
"Mr. Cathers is part owner of a wilderness [sled dog related] tour company, Cathers Wilderness
Adventures. He served as the Wilderness Tourism representative on the Yukon Tourism Education
Council from 2000 until his election."

Glenn Hart, MLA - Riverdale South - (Minister of Community Services)
"...he has served as president of the Yukon Quest..."

Jim Kenyon, MLA - Porter Creek North - (Minister of Economic Development)
"Dr. Kenyon [Ed. note - Dr. Kenyon is a veterinarian] has been involved in a variety of
community-based activities such as the Yukon Kennel Club and the Yukon Quest, and has worked
with dogs in many other races including the Iditarod and the Copper Basin 300."

Patrick Rouble, MLA - Southern Lakes - (Minister of Education)
"Mr. Rouble moved to the Yukon in 1992 and has since become involved with a number of community
organizations. The list of organizations includes the Marsh Lake Community Club, Yukon Special
Olympics, Yukon Quest International Sled Dog Race and the Yukon International Storytelling
Festival."

Ted Staffen, MLA - Riverdale North (Speaker of the House)
"He has chaired the Yukon Sourdough Rendezvous, the Yukon Quest, and the Social Assistance
Appeal Committee."

Archie Lang, MLA - Porter Creek Centre - (Minister of Energy, Mines and Resources)
"...Mr. Lang's private sector experience is in the hospitality, retail and outfitting/tourism sectors in
Watson Lake, Old Crow, and Whitehorse; and in the Northwest Territories..."
"...Mr. Lang has served on the Yukon Energy Corporation Board of Directors, the Yukon Outfitters
Association Board of Directors and Executive..."

Elaine Taylor, MLA - Whitehorse West - (Minister of Tourism and Culture)
"...Ms. Taylor has been a volunteer with Revenue Canada (as a Community Income Tax volunteer),
Food for Learning (at Elijah Smith Elementary School), the Heart & Stroke Foundation (as a Team
Division Leader), Adopt-A-Family and Humane Society Yukon(???)..."

What? No Yukon Quest volunteership? How did SHE get elected? On May 28, 2007, Ms.
Taylor was seen on the local cable TV coverage of the Yukon Legislature giving the annual post-race
political tributes to the Yukon Quest. A local Whitehorse citizen publicly asked Ms. Taylor, in a letter
['Quest kills'], that was published on March 9, 2007 in a local newspaper, what her views were of a
Yukon Quest race official stating that the Yukon Quest organization did not care ("not their concern")
how Yukon Quest dog mushers cull/kill their dogs. There was no response to this open letter to Yukon
politicians regarding the inhumane treatment of animals in Yukon. Apparently, Minister Taylor does not
read the local papers. Shame on her and her government for supporting sled dog exploitation and
abuse. It is also not surprising in the Yukon to see the hypocrisy in Ms. Taylor on the one hand listing
her volunteering experience towards worthy social causes, and on the other hand spending public
money to add to animal suffering in the Yukon.

There are more examples of such hypocritical behaviour by other distinguished Yukon citizens who
support the Quest - e.g. a columnist who writes about spiritual and religious societal ethics in the
Yukon News has in the past written supportive articles (one titled 'Quest fosters social capital') about
the Quest and is a long-time, enthusiastic race volunteer; a Whitehorse travel agency owner who is
involved in the 'gay and lesbian tourism' sector is a supporter of the race (as a 2007 race volunteer).
This businessperson wrote about the experience in a submitted article in the Whitehorse 'What's Up
Yukon' weekly entertainment paper. His business makes money off gay and lesbian tourists who
unknowingly contribute to Yukon sled dog exploitation and abuse (gay rights trumps animal rights).
This past winter, our organization was mystified as to why sled dog advocacy posters were being torn
down from the doorway bill posting area of a local Whitehorse bakery, a business that promotes
'holistic lifestyles' and human rights. The reason became somewhat more clear when we saw that the
bakery was publicly thanked in a newspaper ad from the Quest for supporting the race. What a
'screwed up' (to put it mildly) Territory we are living in!

Letter 'Quest kills' - March 9, Yukon News:

Elaine Taylor, minister of tourism and culture, how can your department support an organization that
killed three dogs this year and injured many others? How can your department support an organization
whose response to the issue of culling unwanted dogs was that it was not the Quest's concern what
Quest mushers did to their dogs?

And Marian Horne, minister of justice, I understand work is being done on a new Yukon Animal
Protection Act. Will this legislation include protection and define guidelines for high standards of care
for sled dogs used in the Quest, by sled-dog tour operators and recreational mushers? Who is being
consulted to develop this legislation?

Would a race like the Quest not be considered inhumane in North American states and other provinces?

Patrick Rouble, minister of education, you do not have my permission as a Yukon taxpayer to sanction
the teaching of Yukon Quest propaganda to schoolchildren. If you must teach about the Quest, you
should teach about the suffering and deaths of the dogs, their lives in the dogyards, and the fact that
dogs are culled to develop the perfect racing team.

Jim Kenyon, minister responsible for Yukon Lotteries Commission, I realize the Quest gambles with the
lives of sled dogs. Therefore, lotteries should not be assisting in this gambling addiction.

To all Yukon politicians: I expect some hard questions to be asked during the spring sitting of the
Yukon Legislature, instead of the mindless tributes offered to the Quest every year, especially in a year
where three dogs were killed for the sake of Yukoners' entertainment. Yukon Quest officials do not
answer to any criticisms unless they have a microphone shoved in their face and they have no choice. I
expect a higher level of accountability from Yukon politicians.

The Yukon will be judged by reality, not by slogans or a million banners.

Mike Grieco, Whitehorse

We have heard that work is 'in progress' on a new Yukon Animal Protection Act (it took the murder of
74 dogs in the Dawson City area in April, 2006 to get this legislation kick-started). If the proposed
legislation does not contain meaningful, enforceable regulations of dog mushing operations, and does
not provide funding for humane officers to patrol the 'Wild West' that is the Yukon, the Act will not be
worth the paper it's written on. We don't expect much in that regard, though, as the dog mushing
lobby is powerful, and those in power are so obviously in bed with those who exploit sled dogs, dogs
who spend a lot of their time chained up in miserable dog yards when they are not pulling some
egotisical musher a thousand miles through brutal weather and terrain (in a short time period), or
pulling busloads of overweight tourists around the country (winter and summer) like the modern-day
slaves that they are.

Please contact Yukon politicians and speak up for sled dogs and all animals in the Yukon.