In Reaction to 56 Sled-dog Slaughter British Columbia Enacts Tough Animal Cruelty Laws
OutdoorHub Reporters 02.21.12
According to multiple reports, British Columbia now has the most stringent animal-cruelty laws in Canada.
This comes as a reaction to a 2010 case when a man working for Outdoor Adventures (a tour company) was ordered to euthanize 56 sled-dogs after the 2010 Winter Olympics.
After the Outdoor Adventures employee filed for workers’ compensation, claiming he suffered from post traumatic stress disorder, investigating officials found the animals buried in a mass grave.
According to the Vancouver Sun, the “size of the cull meant he had to kill the dogs in full view of the rest of the pack, leading to a bloody frenzy of wounded, frightened, and angry dogs.”
The amendments to the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act allow for animal cruelty convictions to carry up to a maximum of C$75,000 and a jail sentence of up to two years.
No charges were ever filed against Outdoor Adventures, which is now a non-profit foundation that seeks to improve animal welfare.
