Sled Dog Watchdog - Yukon Quest 'Media Villains'

1. Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC North/CBC Yukon):

CBC Yukon uses the public airwaves to promote a race that (CBC is perfectly aware) kills and injures
dogs, a race that is responsible for killing unknown numbers of dogs and puppies who are bred to
compete in the Quest and other competitive dog mushing events. CBC as a publicly funded media
organization is favourably prediposed towards the race, and their journalists also willingly display their
enthusiasm for the race. The worst offenders amongst the on-air radio personalities are:

'A New Day' morning show host/sled dog racing fanatic Sandi Coleman - Ms. Coleman acted as
'Mistress of Ceremonies' for the 2007 Quest race start banquet (for a race in which three dogs were
killed and many more injured). Ms. Coleman also apparently breeds and sells Corgi dogs (made birht
announcement on radio, and loves to be seen about town in her long fur coat...at least I hope she is
selling the dogs because I didn't get a description of WHAT KIND of fur coat it WAS ('Cruella de
Coleman?').

In December of 2007 a local youth group had lured Canadian rock star Sam Roberts and his band up to
do a Whitehorse show in mid-January. The 'bait' for Mr. Roberts and his band was "Yukon beer, wild
game meat, and dog mushing." This story 'went national' on CBC radio, two of the young ladies who
were interviewed by Ms. Coleman promoted the Yukon Quest and dog mushing in the interview (these
young ladies would have a great future with Yukon Tourism). The next day, Ms. Coleman interviewed
Sam Roberts and asked him twice about how excited he was about going on a dog mushing tour.
Socially conscious Roberts, perhaps alarmed by Ms. Coleman's rabid tenacity in her pursuit of a
favourable dog mushing quote, 'did not bite' and played down the 'beer/meat/mushing' aspect by
saying that he was more motivated to play in Whitehorse by the enthusiasm of the young promoters.

Other big Quest/dog mushing supporters at CBC Yukon are morning show Director Roch Shannon
Fraser, weekend morning show host Bob Unger, 'Lunch Break' host Nancy Thomson, and 'The
Afternoon Show' host Russ Knutson.

As a final comment to CBC National ('the Mother Corp'), recently there was a very disturbing feature on
The Fifth Estate program called 'Cruel Camera,' focusing on the exploitation and abuse of 'animals in
entertainment.' How hypocritical of CBC to do a story about this and not mention some of the animals
used in entertainment in Canada, in particular, racing sled dogs. It is even more hypocritical that CBC
National and CBC North are big supporters of this exploitation and abuse. The corporation already
produced an expensive dog mushing propaganda film promoting the Quest. However, the blame needs
to be spread around when the Canadian Federation of Humane Societies also overlooked the
exploitation of the sled dog.

2. Whitehorse Daily Star (Official Yukon Quest Media Sponsor):

Apparently in the newspaper business, being an official media sponsor involves providing numerous
full-page advertising and biased reporting for the Quest on a year round basis. Hopefully this is not
paid for by the Yukon Government's Tourism Marketing Fund, $150,000 of which is used to buy paid
favourable advertising for the Yukon Quest. Critical Quest newspaper coverage is to this day
practically non-existent, other than some good reporting by Kelly-Anne Riess who covered the 2005
Quest (Ms. Riess did not stay in Whitehorse for long). Unbeknownst to the Star, however, the 'dropped
dogs' daily Quest race statistics say all that needs to be said about the cruel conditions the Quest dogs
endure.

3. CKRW Radio Whitehorse - 'The Rush' 96.1 FM (Official Yukon Quest Media Sponsor):

Don't bother listening to this station during Yukon Quest season.

4. Outdoor Life Network:

OLN is up to its neck in animal exploitation, what with being a big media supporter of animal cruelty by
its involvement in covering rodeo events, distributing Iditarod coverage from ESPN, and now this
shameful organization will be promoting the Yukon Quest to the world in 2008.

[Story from Whitehorse Daily Star, January 16th, 2008]
'TV crew to start work in City in February'
by Sarah Niman, Star Reporter

A television crew will be arriving in Whitehorse in February to chronicle the Yukon Quest and Arctic Ultra marathon for the
series 'Angry Planet.' The reality adventure series airs on the Outdoor Life Network (OLN).

It follows veteran storm chaser George Kourounis around the world as he investigates various natural phenomena. The show
also appears on the UK Travel Channel, which airs in Australia, Sweden, Finland and Hong Kong. The series has featured
avalanches, tornadoes and even wildfires in past half-hour episodes.

The City of Whitehorse' tourism supervisor, Sheila Dodd, confirmed to the Star the television crew will arrive February 7 and
stay for 10 days shooting footage for their next season. Yukon (Government) Tourism's Rod Raycroft has been handling much of
the preparation. He said anytime a film or television crew comes up to the Yukon, it helps people elsewhere in the country and
the world think of Yukon as a viable visit destination.

Peter Rowe, the show's producer, sent the Star an email, saying, "the new episode is on extreme racing in the hottest and
coldest places in North America." The crew shot a race in Death Valley National Park in the southwestern United States last July,
and will feature the Yukon Quest and Yukon Arctic Ultramarathon as the cold locales.

Rowe also said the Yukon segment of the show will be edited by Marsh Lake resident Michael Vernon.

5. Fairbanks Daily News Miner (Official Yukon Quest Media Sponsor):

We feel sorry for the sled dogs of Alaska, especially the [close to] 1,000 sled dogs who find
themselves going through the Fairbanks Animal Shelter on a yearly basis (the majority of Yukon Quest
mushers come from Alaska). Hopefully this is not a 'one way trip' for these dogs.

6. New Northwest Broadcasting - KFAR 660 AM and KCBF 820 AM (Official Yukon Quest
Media Sponsor):

Same comment as previous.

7. The Discovery Channel ('Out in the Cold' TV series)

Disgusting animal exploiters, highly paid by Government of Yukon for their help in spreading sled dog
propaganda.

Letter to Yukon-based Quest media sponsors:

This is not a letter to the editor. This is a letter to the owners/management of the Yukon-based media sponsors of the Yukon
Quest (the Whitehorse Daily Star and CKRW 'the Rush' radio in Whitehorse).

Our organization would appreciate you responding to the following questions or at least doing some serious reflection about
them:

Are you aware that Quest musher Frank Turner brought up the distasteful subject of Quest dog mushers culling dogs,
immediately prior to the 2007 Quest race?

Are you aware that a Quest spokesman did not make any denial about these allegations, but only offered the simple response
that it was not the Quest's business what Quest mushers did in their dog yards?

CBC NORTH STORY (FEB. 9, 2007) - 'VETERAN MUSHER CALLS ON QUEST TO CONFRONT POSSIBLE DOG CULLING':

Mushers running the Yukon Quest International Sled Dog Race should have to sign a declaration that they do not cull unwanted
dogs and puppies, long-time competitor Frank Turner says. Although there have been huge improvements in sled-dog care over
the past several decades, Turner says the issue of culling still needs to come out of the shadows. "Competitive kennels, or even
kennels that may not be competitive but aspire to be, often breed more dogs than they're actually going to be able to keep,
afford to keep and pay for the vet bills, the food and all the other associated costs," Turner told CBC News in a recent pre-race
interview.

"If you added up the numbers, there's no way all those other puppies or young dogs are going to be sold or given away to
homes. We're just breeding too many dogs." The Yukon Quest should admit that culling is part of the competitive racing world
and take measures to discourage it, he said. "I mean one of the things that the Quest could do on the entry form is do a
declaration - to participate in the Quest you declare that you do not practice culling of dogs," he said.

The race does not have a policy on culling. Quest race marshal Mike McCowan would not say whether culling is a common
practice when asked about it Thursday. "It's not our business," McCowan said. "I mean it's like going up to somebody and
saying, 'How do you make your bed in your own house?' That's not our business."

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/north/story/2007/02/09/culling-dogs.html?ref=rss

Are you aware that three dogs were killed in the 2007 Quest, many dogs were injured or run past the point of
exhaustion ("dropped dogs")?

Are you aware of the number of dogs who have suffered and died over the years the Quest has been run?

Are you aware that a 'more responsible media source' (Yukon News, also reported by CBC Yukon) reported that
some unknown number of dogs 'froze their private parts' due to extreme cold in the 2007 Quest?

Do either of your businesses receive advertising money from the Yukon Quest or any part of the $150,000
Tourism Marketing Fund? [Whitehorse Star apparently makes money at least from annual Quest advertising
supplement].

If so, are you unconcerned about your readership or audience's views about your ability to provide truthful and
unbiased coverage of this [cruel] event you support?

On behalf of the sled dogs, we thank you for taking the time to answer these questions.

Terry Cumming
SledDogWatchdog.com
Whitehorse
[January 8, 2008]

NOTE: NO RESPONSE WAS RECEIVED FROM THE WHITEHORSE DAILY STAR OR CKRW.