From: Rick Saker
To: torsun.editor@sunmedia.ca
Sent: Monday, November 02, 2009 6:16 AM
Subject: An award for exploiting and killing dogs?

I was shocked to learn that the “Yukon Quest” event is one of the three finalists for a National Award for Tourism Excellence at Canada’s Tourism Leadership Summit on November 3rd in Saint John, N.B.

The Yukon Quest is quite simply built on the exploitation and killing of dogs and is extremely inhumane!

Although there are many sources of information on the internet about the inhumane treatment of dogs in the mushing industry, I have attached but one link for reference. It displays an article written by “rushprnews on Mar-24-09 11:40 am and quotes the Sled Dog Action Coalition as follows:

“At least 142 dogs have been run to death or have died from other causes in the Iditarod. There is no official count of dog deaths available for the race’s early years”. Sled Dog Action Coalition

http://www.zimbio.com/Iditarod/articles/29/Dogs+May+Run+Death+Claims+Group

The article was just one of many I found which conveyed the terrible toll that races of this nature have taken on sled dogs, resulting in many deaths or lasting hardships/health issues to the dogs.

In that the “Yukon Quest” is a sled-dog race very similar to, but tougher than, the Iditarod; and in that dogs have died as a result of participating in the “Yukon Quest”, I strongly object to the consideration being given to award this event with a National Award for Tourism Excellence at Canada’s Tourism Leadership Summit on November 3rd in Saint John, N.B.

Should an event which clearly exploits and kills dogs receive an award?

I implore you to voice your concern to those associated with these awards. And I further ask that you continue to express your concerns about events of this nature until the public have been educated about the suffering that is caused as a direct result of these races and brings about a stop to this practice.

Rick Saker
Hamilton, Ontario