Animal Advocates Watchdog

Silence Against Abuse, Will Never Help The Abused...

Terry Cumming: A voice for Nonhumans! Thank You!
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This is downright dog abuse, not ‘sport’(Star, July 30).

Apparently, Yukon Quest summer student Max Winkelman caught Hans Gatt on a bad day (“Catching up with a four-time Quest champion”, Star, July 23).

Not feeling enough love, Mr. Gatt?
Hard to believe that is possible, when you live in a place where attention is lavished upon you by every sector of society, even by the Yukon school system, where youngsters are subtly coerced into sending fan letters to you and your friends who make a living off the labours of man’s best friend.

I was surprised about your mention of the “racists” who plague your existence. You did not expand on who this acccusation was directed at, and why you have come to feel so persecuted.
Furthermore, you warned these mysterious antagonists that if they wanted to “shut down mushing, they will have a problem with (you).”

In the story, you build yourself up as a caring musher. Funny that when a musher is cornered to make a statement, it is always somebody else who is the “bad musher”.

Now that you appear to be in a feisty mood, I will take the opportunity to tell you that I, for one, do have a problem with you, and will give you some reasons why, in comparison to the thin gruel served up by you and your mushing fraternity, in support of your lifestyle.

I am reminded of the Dec. 16, 2009 Star story prior to the 2010 Quest (“Animal abuse would not allow for race performance, mushers say”). Annalee Grant, then the Star’s Quest race reporter, sat down with fellow mushers Sebastian Schnuelle, Gerry Willomitzer and yourself, in which the following testimonials were offered:
Willomitzer wanted to take “these people out on a training run to show them what a real sled dog was about.” The dogs loved what they are doing, and if they didn’t want to go, “they won’t go.”

You, Gatt, believed the dogs “have far from hit the limit of what they are capable of,” and Schnuelle, who had set the fastest race time record in 2009, “was happy to be part of the group testing the limits.” Schnuelle “disagreed with the suggestion that Quest dogs experience abuse” because he had never had “a nicer-looking team” than after the 2009 Quest.

That’s the best you have to offer?

In an article published in the Feb. 20, 2009 Yukon News, “Diarrhea delays dogs”, you were quoted as saying, “I had bloody diarrhea right after Braeburn, and it was severe in a few dogs.” (The interview took place in Dawson).

In a related article on Feb.18 (“Fast and furious few”), musher Jean-Denis Britten told the reporter that he had stopped trying to catch the frontrunners. “I followed those guys on the trail and you can see puke and dogs sh——-g blood,” he was quoted as saying.

Driving dogs to this condition may be considered laudable by fawning Yukon media, race veterinarians and 99.9 per cent of the Yukon populace, but to me, this is a clear example of “dog abuse”. And then, after the 2009 race, you see the “Dogs for sale” ads on mushing websites (Sleddogcentral.com, in this case).

Gerry Willomitzer had “Many dogs for sale. All ages, leaders, Quest & Iditarod finishers. Mackey, Gatt & Kleedehn lines (some really nice line breeds). I have way more than I need.”

Schnuelle was running a veritable clearing house on the same site. It was impossible to determine how many dogs he was getting rid of – “Puppies, yearlings, leaders, two-year-olds, team dogs, YQ and Iditarod finishers (e-mail for a complete list of available dogs).” Yukon sled-puppy mills!

I would also be interested in hearing your views on dog culling. I have heard of mushers, “back in the day,” bringing truckloads of dogs to the back door of a vet clinic in Whitehorse to be euthanized (came to me from a source I consider reliable). That’s not to mention those mushers who take care of their own culling or have somebody else perform the dirty deed if they cannot stomach doing it themselves.

I have heard about notices being posted in Yukon First Nations communities along the Quest route warning citizens that stray dogs will be shot to clear the streets for the Quest arrival (several Yukon First Nations are race sponsors).

It is unfortunate that advocacy for dogs used as sled dogs in the Yukon has fallen on the shoulders of one (now) ex-Yukoner (myself) and one Whitehorse resident (Mike Grieco).

The Humane Society Yukon has been operating for roughly the same time period as the Quest. I have never once heard a peep out of any spokespeople when dogs die or are hurt in the race, and not a peep about culling or the inhumane conditions in which many sled dogs are kept.

I am concerned that there are always people on the Humane Society Yukon board or leadership who see “sled dogs” as tools, not the sentient beings they are.

I am hoping that the upcoming humane society AGM will bring a more compassionate, enlightened, and courageous voice for all Yukon dogs.

Terry Cumming
SledDogWatchdog.com

Melfort, Sask.

P.S. “Happy trails” to Humane Society Yukon dog Hunter (Smiley), whose death sentence was carried out on July 22 by the “no-kill” society.

This was not part of what Mae Bachur envisioned.

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