I tried to post this on the CBC Fifth Estate site but received a message that I was "not authorized to post messages"(?). I doubt the moderator would post it anyhow, so I am posting it here:
Very sad show to endure. It must have been psychologically difficult for Bob McKeown and crew to produce the program.
The Fifth Estate now needs to do some work closer to home exposing the Canadian dog mushing industry. In particular the CBC should focus on the Yukon Quest International Sled Dog Race, a 1,000 mile 'endurance race' between Whitehorse, Yukon and Fairbanks, Alaska. Three dogs were killed during the 2007 Quest race. Many dogs were injured and/or run past the point of exhaustion.
Dogs are forced to run up to (and over) 100 miles a day, over difficult terrain, in extreme weather, while pulling a heavy load.
There is much cruelty that surrounds the Quest (this also holds true for Alaska's Iditarod) in that many dogs including puppies are apparently culled/killed in the quest to produce winning teams. The culling issue was brought up by one of the veteran mushers, relayed to a CBC Radio reporter in Whitehorse. The musher asked the Quest to admit that culling of dogs was part of the world of competitive racing, and that the Quest should admit that it happens, and to take action to discourage it.
A Quest spokesman replied that it was not the Quest's business what Quest mushers did in their dog yards. CBC Yukon, despite the report about dog culling by Quest mushers, is a major media cheerleader for this barbaric race and CBC has done very little in the way of real reporting, in the 25 years that the race has been run.
CBC as a corporation is hypocritical by reporting about the exploitation and abuse of animals used in entertainment in the Fifth Estate show, and then supporting sled dog exploitation and abuse in an event which is staged in our own country.
Please take time to learn about sled dog abuse and exploitation:
CBC NORTH STORY (FEB. 9, 2007) - 'VETERAN MUSHER CALLS ON QUEST TO CONFRONT POSSIBLE DOG CULLING':
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/north/story/2007/02/09/culling-dogs.html?ref=rss