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 about, and unashamed of, 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 various media concerns 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 Ms. Wendy Morrison, Whitehorse-based Yukon Quest Executive
Director, on its board of directors. Ms. Morrison'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 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.

Summer of 2008 update:

[Posting on Lotteries Yukon website following 2008 Quest race - The minister responsible for Yukon
Lotteries is Jim Kenyon, a Whitehorse veterinarian who is closely allied with the Yukon Quest and has
volunteered for other sled dog races, including the Iditarod]

Lotteries Yukon would like to congratulate Lance Mackey, the winner of the epic 1,000 mile Yukon Quest
International Sled Dog Race for the fourth year in a row! The Yukon Quest sled dog race has been run
between Whitehorse, YT and Fairbanks, AK ever since 1984 with Yukon Lotteries support as a sponsor of
this world renowned event.

We can't get enough of dog sledding in the Yukon which makes March a terrific month to head to
Haines Junction and check out the Silver Sled dog sled races. This event was created in 1996 by a group
of friends who were sitting and talking about how great it would be to have a dog sled race in Haines
Junction. Twelve years later this two-day, hundred mile round trip race from Haines Junction to Silver City
is still going strong. As well as the Silver Sled race, the weekend is packed full of other activities [involving
dogs] including skijoring, a weight-pull contest, short races, junior mushing races and sled rides. There's
something for everyone during this weekend of family events.

The Yukon Lottery Commission/Lotteries Yukon has been providing funding assistance for the Silver Sled
Dog Race for the last ten years. Lotteries Yukon is pleased to assist with these exciting events and wishes
all the competitors, their teams and the Silver Sled race committee with a safe and successful race.

Yukon Lottery dollars are helping in your community... one ticket at a time!

Yukon Opposition parties prove to be equally spineless as other authorities in not
responding to a request for them to ask some 'tough questions' in the Yukon Legislature
spring sitting regarding the large amount of public funding that goes to the Yukon Quest,
and the refusal of either the Quest organization or Yukon Party government politicians,
especially Elaine Taylor, Minister of Tourism and Culture, to respond to critical questions
from the public.

The following document was sent to the Yukon Liberal Party (official Yukon opposition
party) and the Yukon NDP (Third Party) on April 3, 2008. There was no response to this
document from either party. God forbid ANY POLITICIAN should offend our beloved Yukon
Quest or the Yukon dog mushing industry!