Perhaps even the cowardly NORTHERN VERSION of politician.

1) YUKON cowardly politicians who either outrightly support animal cruelty ($200,000 plus per year government funding for Yukon Quest) or those in opposition who are too spineless to offend the powerful Yukon dog mushing industry (sled dog breeding, racing and sled dog tourism). The Yukon Quest, and also hunting and trapping are promoted to Yukon school children. The ruling party and the bureaucracy who hand out the exploitation $$$ have repeatedly refused to respond to public questioning. The opposition parties refuse to question the ruling party on behalf of animal advocates (after all, both parties - Liberals and NDP were also handing out money to the Yukon Quest when they were in power).

2) The cowardly NORTHWEST TERRITORIES version of politician - after the killing of the 44 Behchoko sled dogs and now this tragedy in Tuktoyaktuk.

[View photo of chained Tuk sled dog at http://sleddogwatchdog.com/inuvik_dog_race_photos.html - might the white husky depicted in this 'frozen dog' photo be one of the dead or starving dogs in the CBC story?]

3) The cowardly northern media which refuses to dig too deeply into dark secrets of the northern dog mushing world. I had made several phone calls in November to national and northern media about the Churchill Eskimo dogs who are chained to the tundra year round (no protection from elements or polar bears) when they are not being used. The story was either 'out of their area of coverage' (or just not worthy of much journalistic interest).

This dog yard has been repeatedly attacked by hungry polar bears as I was informed of recently by a Manitoba resident with Churchill connections (several dogs recently attacked, injured or killed, one disemboweled dog reportedly had to be shot) - NOBODY CARES about this despite a PETA alert (photos dated 2005) and page on my website since early 2007.

Churchill sled dog page with account of recent polar bear attack:

http://sleddogwatchdog.com/sleddogcountry_outside.html

Action you can take:

Write to Yukon politicians and bureaucrats about Yukon/Yukon Quest sled dog exploitation (would be very surprised if any of these people or organizations bothered to reply):

Elaine.Taylor@gov.yk.ca,Pierre.Germain@gov.yk.ca,vacation@gov.yk.ca,yla@gov.yk.ca,jim.kenyon@gov.yk.ca,arthur.mitchell@yla.gov.yk.ca,todd.hardy@yla.gov.yk.ca,lotteriesyukon@gov.yk.ca,mayorcouncil@whitehorse.ca,bagnell@parl.gc.ca

Write to NWT politicians about the Territory's deplorable animal protection laws. Write to NWT Premier Floyd Roland at:

Floyd_Roland@gov.nt.ca

Write to the Premier of Manitoba and the Mayor of the Town of Churchill:

Premier Gary Doer:

premier@leg.gov.mb.ca

Churchill Mayor Mike Spence:

townofchurchill@mts.net

[It goes without saying that as long as the so-called dog mushing tradition continues, animals will be subjected to suffering and death.]

Miserable last days for Behchoko sled dogs