Beyond Reprehensible
They are companion animals. They most definitely, even if used as working animals and not as domesticated pets sharing our homes and our recreational outings and our companionship as close friends, are not to be thought of and abused as disposable items. They are living, breathing, caring, intelligent creatures who comfort us and teach us patience and caring for other creatures with which we share this planet.
Enough dogs are neglected and tormented and made to live miserable lives without the practical and emotional support they require to be well balanced social creatures. Not unlike the way which many children also are raised within society. People who respect and have great affection for animal companions shudder at the knowledge that people behave cruelly to dogs, dominating them violently and viciously.
There are stories about people who dedicate their lives to the well-being of animals, but who fail when their passion to protect and comfort them becomes so overwhelming that they become physically and economically incapable of adequately caring for them, so the animals end up living in squalor and misery until animal welfare authorities become involved and rescue those which can still be rescued.
And then there are those, unscrupulous and heartless businesses, who make a living from presenting dogs as working animals enjoying the challenges placed before them through traditional and now seldom-used tasks like sled pulling. Enterprises set up to entertain tourists and other people interested in having a unique experience; mushing a team of sled dogs.
But when business faltered because of poor atmospheric conditions and a slow-down in the economy, a company at Whistler, B.C. - Outdoor Adventures - through one of its subsidiaries, Howling dogs Whistler Inc., decided to cull their herd of Huskies, no longer in use, too expensive to maintain. Countless people might have been interested in assuming ownership or care of these dogs, but the most immediate solution obviously was more appealing.
And that was simply to destroy the dogs, and one hundred of the Huskies were destined to be slaughtered, as one of the employees of the company was given firmly unequivocal orders to do just that. He is now suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, having applied to the WorkSafe BC program for inclusion in workers' compensation as he is no longer capable of working. Poor man.
He took his orders seriously, and in a horribly loathsome determination to follow orders set about slaughtering terrified dogs. The owners of the dog sledding enterprise deny that any such cull took place, referencing instead "euthanasia", carried out on dogs too old and ill to survive. The dogs were shot or had their throats slashed - while they fearfully struggled to survive - then were buried in a mass grave.
And the man who carried out those orders is now in ostensibly frail condition due to the psychological stress he incurred while brutally killing those animals. On the company's web site the advertising sounds quite appealing, belying the reality of unspeakable brutality, and the fact that they were considered expendable and disposable, their right to life miserably abused.
Enough dogs are neglected and tormented and made to live miserable lives without the practical and emotional support they require to be well balanced social creatures. Not unlike the way which many children also are raised within society. People who respect and have great affection for animal companions shudder at the knowledge that people behave cruelly to dogs, dominating them violently and viciously.
There are stories about people who dedicate their lives to the well-being of animals, but who fail when their passion to protect and comfort them becomes so overwhelming that they become physically and economically incapable of adequately caring for them, so the animals end up living in squalor and misery until animal welfare authorities become involved and rescue those which can still be rescued.
And then there are those, unscrupulous and heartless businesses, who make a living from presenting dogs as working animals enjoying the challenges placed before them through traditional and now seldom-used tasks like sled pulling. Enterprises set up to entertain tourists and other people interested in having a unique experience; mushing a team of sled dogs.
But when business faltered because of poor atmospheric conditions and a slow-down in the economy, a company at Whistler, B.C. - Outdoor Adventures - through one of its subsidiaries, Howling dogs Whistler Inc., decided to cull their herd of Huskies, no longer in use, too expensive to maintain. Countless people might have been interested in assuming ownership or care of these dogs, but the most immediate solution obviously was more appealing.
And that was simply to destroy the dogs, and one hundred of the Huskies were destined to be slaughtered, as one of the employees of the company was given firmly unequivocal orders to do just that. He is now suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, having applied to the WorkSafe BC program for inclusion in workers' compensation as he is no longer capable of working. Poor man.
He took his orders seriously, and in a horribly loathsome determination to follow orders set about slaughtering terrified dogs. The owners of the dog sledding enterprise deny that any such cull took place, referencing instead "euthanasia", carried out on dogs too old and ill to survive. The dogs were shot or had their throats slashed - while they fearfully struggled to survive - then were buried in a mass grave.
And the man who carried out those orders is now in ostensibly frail condition due to the psychological stress he incurred while brutally killing those animals. On the company's web site the advertising sounds quite appealing, belying the reality of unspeakable brutality, and the fact that they were considered expendable and disposable, their right to life miserably abused.
"Behind your team of energetic and loveable Alaskan Racing Huskies, get ready for an unforgettable journey and a thrilling introduction to this classic Canadian sport. Mush your own team, or have a professional guide lead the way. We are Whistler's original dog sled operator with over 63 years of experience (in dog years that is...)", it coyly expounds.
Labels: Adventure, Human Fallibility, Life's Like That
posted by Pieface | 7:25 PM
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