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'Howl' for Yukon Sled Dogs Campaign |
In the past few years in the Yukon, advocacy on behalf of our local 'sled dogs' has become increasingly more of an issue in the public eye. Questions have been asked in a public forum by a very few local activists on behalf of 'sled dogs,' questioning those authorities who are responsible (Yukon Quest organization, the various levels of government, the Yukon education system, Yukon media, local businesses and individuals) for perpetuating sled dog cruelty and exploitation. Instead of taking steps to end the mistreatment to which these dogs are subjected, the 'powers that be' celebrate this cruelty by supporting and promoting brutal events like the Yukon Quest International Sled Dog Race, and by marketing to the rest of the world, the use of sled dogs for tourism purposes (sled dog tours). Yukon residents who are concerned about the welfare of these dogs can attest to being exposed to a steady diet of dog mushing propaganda, especially from media like CBC Yukon, CKRW 'Radio Whitehorse,' the Whitehorse Daily Star, and from the (expensive and offensive) banners which proudly hang from lamp standards every winter, along the streets of Whitehorse in honour of the Yukon Quest. In March of 2007, the Canada Winter Games committee in Whitehorse plastered the town with their own 'dog mushing logo' banners and advertising materials to help promote the Yukon as a dog mushing paradise. This is an absolute travesty, as this 'rose-coloured glasses' view of the Yukon dog mushing industry belies the truth of how these dogs actually live and die, in servitude to the ego and greed of their exploiters, for the entertainment purposes of ignorant and uncaring race fans. We implore animal lovers from outside the Yukon to write letters to Tourism Yukon, the City of Whitehorse, the Whitehorse and Yukon Chambers of Commerce, and CBC Yukon, asking them to cease and desist in their complicity in contributing to Yukon animal cruelty. Most Yukoners are apathetic or are outright supportive of this disgraceful sled dog race. Those Yukoners who are opposed to the event do not feel comfortable speaking out in public against the 'sacred cow' Yukon Quest. We also urge you write to Yukon media asking that they do some investigative reporting when writing or broadcasting about the dog mushing industry, and also to Yukon educators imploring them to stop promoting the Yukon Quest to Yukon school children. Sending copies of your letters to Whitehorse newspapers will help in the cause. Immediately prior to the start of the 2007 Quest race, a veteran Yukon Quest musher asked the Quest organization to admit that the culling/killing of sled dogs (which includes killing puppies) was a part of the competitive sled dog racing world, and suggested that the organization take measures to discourage it (The Quest does not have a policy on culling). Furthermore, this musher suggested that pledges be secured from prospective racers stating that they do not cull dogs. A senior Quest official's response was that the culling issue was "not [the Quest's] business." This should have been an explosive media story, but the news was received with a 'ho-hum' attitude from Yukoners, no further investigation was done by media, and the story died quickly. For this reason alone, race supporters should have bailed out of supporting this dog-abusing, dog-KILLING event, but apparently the numerous Quest race supporters (including to its shame, the Territory's tourism department) do not care about this issue any more than the Quest organization itself cares. WE ASK THAT YOU SEND A STRONG MESSAGE that a Territory with such a cavalier attitude (and a complete lack of regulation and oversight of dog mushing operations) towards animal mistreatment will not likely attract you, as animal lovers, to visit the Yukon as tourists. Please do this on behalf of all the chained dogs in the Yukon, the discarded dogs, all those dogs who have suffered and died during the quarter century the Yukon Quest race has been staged, and all those dogs who serve as beasts of burden for man in the 21st Century. The dogs ask that you please write in a respectful manner! Please visit the following websites to learn more about sled dog exploitation and abuse: http://sleddogwatchdog.com http://helpsleddogs.org http://www.hsus.org/pets/issues_affecting_our_pets/facts_about_the_iditarod.html http://www.peta.org/feat-iditarod.asp http://www.peta.org.uk/factsheet/files/FactsheetDisplay.asp?ID=213 Thank you for caring about sled dogs. JOIN THE CAMPAIGN! Campaign 1: No more public funding for the Yukon Quest Campaign 2: Message to Yukon Quest sponsors and supporters Campaign 3: No more Yukon Quest propaganda in Yukon classrooms Campaign 4: Need for responsible reporting about 'sled dog' cruelty and exploitation SUPPORTING INFORMATION: Yukon Quest sponsors - Proud sponsors of animal cruelty? Government sponsors: Tourism Yukon Canadian Rangers City of Fairbanks City of Whitehorse Fairbanks North Star Borough U.S. National Park Service U.S. Bureau of Land Management Yukon Department of Economic Development Alaska State Parks/Snow TRAC City of Dawson Selkirk First Nation Village of Carmacks Little Salmon/Carmacks First Nation Media sponsors: Whitehorse Daily Star Fairbanks Daily News-Miner CKRW - The Rush 96.1 FM Major sponsors: Sorel (Footwear), Inc. Full Metal Minerals/Underworld Resources Fairbanks Memorial Hospital Lotteries Yukon Northwestel Norcan Rentals & Leasing Selwyn Resources Ltd. Spot Satellite Messenger YukonWild.com 'Lead dog' sponsors: 5th Avenue Designs Air North - Yukon's Airline Alaska Air National Guard Apocalypse Design Arctic Amateur Radio Club Boston Pizza Chena Hot Springs Resort Conoco Phillips Everts Air Fraserway RV High Country Inn Latitude Wireless Lynden Transport Molson Brewing (Alaska Distributors) North Star Computing Princess Lodges Santa's Stitches Skookum Asphalt Sobe Adrenaline Rush Sourdough Fuel Trademark, The Screen Printers TransCanada Pipelines Western Copper Corp. Westmark Hotels White Pass & Yukon Route Yukon Energy Corporation Yukon-Nevada Gold Corp. 'Team dog' sponsors: Alaska Coffee Roasting Company Alaska Tent & Tarp Alpine Aviation - Whitehorse ATCO Group Aurora Geosciences Chukka Caribbean Adventures Denali State Bank Derek Crowe Photography Fairbanks Convention & Visitors Bureau Frontier Opportunities Golden Hill Ventures Gray Line Alaska Harley-Davidson Farthest North Outpost Klondike Copier Mecca Bar Mark's Work Wearhouse North of Ordinary Powerhouse Signs Princess Tours & Princess Riverside Lodge Quality Sales Spenard Builders Supply Ltd. Summit Logistics Super 8 Motel Usibelli Coal Mine Wells Fargo Yukon Harley-Davidson Yukon Pump Zola's Café Doré - Whitehorse 'Summit' sponsors: AFD Alaska Dreams Alaska Petroleum Atlantic Industries Ltd. Aurora Animal Clinic Boynton Office Supplies Canadian Tire - Whitehorse Carsten Thies, Photographer Cheryl Bradley, CPA Cold Spot Feeds Downtown Association/Main Street Fairbanks Edgewater Hotel - Whitehorse Fairbanks Convention and Visitor's Bureau (FCVB) Fairbanks Memorial Hospital - Denali Center GEOTEST Holland America Line Inc. I-CHARR Inkspirationz Graphix Joe and Wendy Fellers Journeys by Jerry Van Dyke Kilrich Industries Klondike Info Tech Klondike Visitors Association (KVA) Kluane Freight Lines McDonalds Restaurant - Whitehorse Macpherson Rentals Northrim Bank Pelly Construction Polarcom Prospector Outfitters Sani-Can Selkirk Centre Sign Pro SIR North Country Ranch Stratos Taiga Ventures Tait's Custom Trailer Sales Terra Firma Art Company The Chocolate Claim The Dog House - Dawson City WHTV Cable Yukon Engineering Services 'Trail' sponsors: AFA Forest Products Alaska Federal Credit Union Arctic Star Printing Aviator's Steakhouse/Sky's the Limit Catering Axis Insurance Managers BHB Storage - Dawson City Big Ray's Blu's Logistics Inc. Bob Eley C&A Distributors/Vending - Alaska Dimond Fence Company Donald Blair Nixon Professional Corporation Elks Lodge 1551 - Fairbanks Fairbanks Title Agency Finning - Whitehorse Frito-Lay H&S Warehouse Inga Aksamit & Steve Mullen Insanity Acres Ivory Jack's Jittery Moose Fine Coffees & Teas La Gourmandaise Restaurant Louis Graham Manitoulin Transport Northerm Windows Nuway Crushing Ltd. Pacific Geotech North Petaluma Posse Phone Directories Company Pro Music Southern Cross Consulting Steese Roadhouse Superior Moving Taco del Mar Taiga Mushing Supply Test the Waters Unisource Versatile Rentals Vision Express Optical Whitestone Furs Yukon Brewing Company Yukon Inn Reference for sponsor information: http://www.yukonquest.com/servlet/content/65.html (Yukon Quest website, February 16, 2008) |
[Campaign Introduction] |