Whistler Question
Mt. Currie dog situation sparks frustration

By Nicole Fitzgerald
Reporter
WAG, SPCA and Band seek solutions Whistler Animals Galore (WAG) shelter officials are becoming increasingly alarmed by the numerous phone calls they are receiving about dogs being inhumanely killed on the Mount Currie Reserve. “The phone calls are coming in again,” said Shelter Director Carol Coffey. “People are (telling us that they are) shooting the dogs, hanging the dogs from trees, clubbing them. I am so frustrated. Something proactive has to be done about this.” The issue came to the shelter’s attention last year when several phone calls of a similar nature came in. Sheldon Tetreault, administrator of the Mount Currie Band, told The Question at the time that the band hired someone from the community, not formally trained in destroying dogs, to control the stray dog population. He would not clarify how the dogs were destroyed although he said euthanization methods commonly practiced by animal shelters were not used. Tetreault was not available by press time to comment on the current situation. Officials from the Vancouver branch of the B.C. Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) from the Vancouver branch are looking into the situation. Marcy Moriarty, general manager of SPCA cruelty investigations, said animals are protected under the Criminal Code. She said it is illegal for anyone to inhumanely kill an animal he or she owns. She said strangling, clubbing and drowning are deemed inhumane. “They have to be humanely euthanized,” Moriarty said of the animals. “We will send up an officer to the reserve to try and assess the situation… We will look at working with the band to find alternate solutions.” WAG is the closest shelter dealing with the problem and the staff there does not have the resources to care for the vast number of stray dogs in Mount Currie. Shelter officials received one dog with nine puppies last week from Mount Currie. Although 30 per cent of WAG’s dogs come from Mount Currie, the band contributes little funding for the shelter, Coffey said. Coffey said the Band has begun talks with WAG officials to find a solution. WAG has initiated and funded an education program at Xit’olacw Community School. She said a curriculum will be implemented in the spring and that teachers are supportive of the program, which will teach children about animal safety as well as how to care for their pets. WAG officials are concentrating on finding funding for a spay-and-neuter program. Coffey said WAG is happy to organize the program, but the Band must meet the organization halfway. She said Tetreault is looking into figuring out how many “problem” dogs are in the area, which will help officials determine how much money is needed for the program. Coffey said the program will only be effective if 70 per cent of the population is sterilized. She is looking for veterinarians to and organizations to support the project. The Vancouver Animal Foundation was approached; however, the group recently funded an SPCA spay-and-neuter van to travel to reserves in northern B.C. The program is delayed for two years because of matching-fund difficulties. Those with information about the inhumane destruction of animals is asked to call WAG, who can pass on a phone number for an SPCA officer. Callers who request it may remain anonymous.