B.C. Sled Dog Deaths Prompt Provincial Task Force

Premier Gordon Campbell announced yesterday the government will investigate the slaughter of 100 dogs at the Outdoor Adventures dog sledding facility.

Campbell appointed Liberal MLA and trained veterinarian Terry Lake to head the task force, which will examine the apparent lack of oversight in the sled dog industry. Many Canadians were outraged to learn last week that after tourism dried up in the wake of the 2010 Olympics, Outdoor Adventures ordered 100 of its 300 animals killed. A single employee did the gruesome work over two days last April, shooting and slashing the dogs to death. Among the issues the task force will look into why WorkSafe BC did not initially report the incident to the proper authorities. The workers’ compensation organization learned about the cull in May but the incident was not made public until last week.