We all know what happened and this is how it's resolved-the guy with the money walks free with a charitable donation tax credit-his accountants must love him.The dead dogs are just that-dead and forgotten.
Whistler company condemned for sled dog massacre gives operation to charity
Sled dogs from Outdoor Adventures Whistler, the tour company in Whistler, B.C. that ordered the killing of 52 dogs when bookings slumped after the Olympic Games in Vancouver.
The embattled Whistler Outdoor Adventures, which came under worldwide condemnation after the massacre of many of its sled dogs in April, 2010, announced today it is gifting its entire sled dog operation to a newly created not-for-profit foundation.
The Sled Dog Foundation will own the company's surviving 153 dogs, the land leases, kennels and equipment and plan to give all of the profits towards the improvement of animal welfare of sled dogs.
Whistler Outdoor Adventures owner Joey Houssian had suspended his company's sled dog division after the killings became public knowledge and previously told the media he took "moral responsibility" for the dogs' deaths.
It was initially believed 100 sled dogs had been massacred after Bob Fawcett, who ran the company's sled dog division at the time, filed a workers compensation claim for post-traumatic stress. In that report it was detailed how Fawcett killed the chained dogs in front of each other either by shooting them or slitting their throats before burying them in a mass grave. When the BC SPCA conducted an investigation only 52 dogs were found in the grave on the Pemberton crown land compound where the dogs lived.
"The allegations about how the sled dogs were treated came as a great shock to me and my staff," said Houssian in Wednesday's press release. "Since then, and after significant research and consultation with animal welfare experts, academics and others, my team concluded that we would try to influence positive change for the industry and for the welfare of sled dogs. We believe the creation of this Foundation is the best way to achieve this."
Foundation director Stephanie McDonald, who is a CEO on the Board of the Edmonton Humane Society, welcomed the gift as a "great first start."
"The enduring revenue generated by the sled dog operating company creates the opportunity to establish world-leading practices and to provide educational opportunities at a grass roots level on a national scale," she stated in the release.
The other board members of the newly created foundation include Sue Eckersley, a Whistler business leader who also serves on the Board of Directors of Whistler Animals Galore, the local animal shelter and Whistler veterinarian Dr. David Lane, owner of Coast Mountain Veterinary Hospital who has worked for Whistler Outdoor Adventures for the past 19 years.
The sled dog deaths sparked changes to B.C.'s animal cruelty laws after a provincial Sled Dog Task Force was struck and made its recommendations a year after the massacre in April, 2011.
Fines for animal abuse for the most serious offenders rose from a maximum of $10,000 to $75,000 and jail sentences increased from six months to two years. To date, no charges have been laid.
Whistler company condemned for sled dog massacre gives operation to charity
Sled dogs from Outdoor Adventures Whistler, the tour company in Whistler, B.C. that ordered the killing of 52 dogs when bookings slumped after the Olympic Games in Vancouver.
The embattled Whistler Outdoor Adventures, which came under worldwide condemnation after the massacre of many of its sled dogs in April, 2010, announced today it is gifting its entire sled dog operation to a newly created not-for-profit foundation.
The Sled Dog Foundation will own the company's surviving 153 dogs, the land leases, kennels and equipment and plan to give all of the profits towards the improvement of animal welfare of sled dogs.
Whistler Outdoor Adventures owner Joey Houssian had suspended his company's sled dog division after the killings became public knowledge and previously told the media he took "moral responsibility" for the dogs' deaths.
It was initially believed 100 sled dogs had been massacred after Bob Fawcett, who ran the company's sled dog division at the time, filed a workers compensation claim for post-traumatic stress. In that report it was detailed how Fawcett killed the chained dogs in front of each other either by shooting them or slitting their throats before burying them in a mass grave. When the BC SPCA conducted an investigation only 52 dogs were found in the grave on the Pemberton crown land compound where the dogs lived.
"The allegations about how the sled dogs were treated came as a great shock to me and my staff," said Houssian in Wednesday's press release. "Since then, and after significant research and consultation with animal welfare experts, academics and others, my team concluded that we would try to influence positive change for the industry and for the welfare of sled dogs. We believe the creation of this Foundation is the best way to achieve this."
Foundation director Stephanie McDonald, who is a CEO on the Board of the Edmonton Humane Society, welcomed the gift as a "great first start."
"The enduring revenue generated by the sled dog operating company creates the opportunity to establish world-leading practices and to provide educational opportunities at a grass roots level on a national scale," she stated in the release.
The other board members of the newly created foundation include Sue Eckersley, a Whistler business leader who also serves on the Board of Directors of Whistler Animals Galore, the local animal shelter and Whistler veterinarian Dr. David Lane, owner of Coast Mountain Veterinary Hospital who has worked for Whistler Outdoor Adventures for the past 19 years.
The sled dog deaths sparked changes to B.C.'s animal cruelty laws after a provincial Sled Dog Task Force was struck and made its recommendations a year after the massacre in April, 2011.
Fines for animal abuse for the most serious offenders rose from a maximum of $10,000 to $75,000 and jail sentences increased from six months to two years. To date, no charges have been laid.
