9 Racing Siberians Need Help – Time Sensative

August 17th, 2011

Scott Rice of RicePak Racing Siberians in Columbus, Ohio has 9 Siberian Husky sled dogs who need to be placed by August 29th. There is no way around this situation, we just need to get the dogs into either new homes or foster homes. If acquired directly from Scott, there will be no adoption fee. Nancy Wolfe from Northwest Ohio Siberian Rescue is organizing this rescue.

If you are interested in any of the dogs, please contact the Scott, Nancy and myself so that all potential lists (including this website) can be kept as up to date as possible regarding what dogs still need help. If you click here, it will automatically generate an e-mail to the three of us at once. If you use a browser-based e-mail system, like GMail, then you can simply copy/paste our e-mail addresses:

Scott: sarice35@hotmail.com

Nancy: wolfepak53@windstream.net

Ashley: ashley@lakotasong.com

Below is the information that is currently known. There will be spay/neuter statuses and photos following shortly. Please check back.

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Goblin - ADOPTED

Male – 5 Years Old – 63 Pounds

Goblin is a “very tall” sled dog who runs wheel.

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Boo Bear - ADOPTED

Male – 5 Years Old – 58 Pounds

Boo Bear is a “big and tall” sled dog who runs wheel.

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CasperADOPTED

Male – 5 Years Old – 57 Pounds

Casper is a “big and tall” sled dog who runs wheel.

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SnowballADOPTED

Intact Female – Yearling – 38 Pounds

Snowball is a “thin and tall” sled dog who has not been run in a team yet.

Snowball

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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SunshineADOPTED

Intact Female – Yearling – 42 Pounds

Sunshine is a “tall” sled dog who has not been run in a team yet.

Sunshine

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Flour

Intact Female – 4 Years Old – 45 Pounds

Flour is a sled dog who runs team.

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Happy

Intact Female – 4 Years Old – 47 Pounds

Happy is a sled dog who runs team.

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RaisinADOPTED

Intact Female – 4 Years Old – 45 Pounds

Raisin is a sled dog who runs team.

Raisin

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Brownie

Spayed Female – 4 Years Old – 50 Pounds

Brownie is a sled dog who runs team.

Brownie

Brownie

 

A New Life for Lachute Rescues

August 14th, 2011

As the 37 sled dogs from the Lachute rescue get placed into foster care and adopted out, as many as possible will be featured on this page with stories from their foster parents. So make sure to stay tuned and check back often as this page gets updated with more and more heartwarming success stories as these beautiful sled dogs get a second chance at a real life – without chains!

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 AVAILABLE FOR ADOPTION 

Photos by Eleven Eleven Rescue - Kuma's Foster.

Kuma is approximately 4 years old and weighed in at 45 pounds upon entering rescue. She is being fostered by Eleven Eleven Rescue and will be spayed prior to placement. If you would like more information and photos, please visit Kuma’s Rescue Page. If you are interested in adopting her, please visit the Adoption Policies page. Below is a note from Kuma’s foster family.

Kuma relaxing with a friend in foster care!

From Kuma’s Foster Family: She’s one of the huskies we rescued this weekend and I think possibly the sweetest dog ever. She doesn’t bark, doesn’t chew, ignores the cats entirely and gets along fine with my dogs. She doesn’t climb furniture, which I’m sure is a bit foreign to her. However, she did try to climb the low table in the yard. Leash walking is new, so she weaves – a lot. But she’s light and the pulling is not terrible. She’s very submissive and doesn’t eat very much, but this morning she was happy enough to wag her tail, which was great because she’s not a wagger. If dogs are too rowdy around her, she gets a bit scared and scampers off, but doesn’t cower or hide, so that’s good. She had one accident in the house, but that was my fault, as I’m still learning to read her signals. Otherwise, she pees and poos outside just fine. She’ll make someone an amazing dog! This girl is just too endearing.

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 AVAILABLE FOR ADOPTION 

Look at that smile! Photo by Tina, Foster Mom.

Nova is a small, young adult male who is currently being fostered in Oshawa, Ontario. Upon entering rescue, he weighed in at approximately 35 pounds and is estimated to be between 3 and 4 years of age. He will need to be neutered upon placement, and some funding is available to assist with this and offset his adoption fee.

Nova’s foster mom, Tina has written up a little information about his first few days in foster care – provided below. If you have any other questions or are interested in adopting Nova, you can e-mail Tina at t.pricek81@yahoo.ca

Nova after his bath & blow-dry! Photo by Melissa Van Grootel, a groomer who donated her services.

From Tina: The morning after we brought him home, we decided to weigh him since he was so boney – he weighed in at 34.6 pounds. He is now happily using stairs and my dog Mieke’s ramp, which he was terrified of when he first encountered it. He is slowly adjusting to the whole concept of being crated, but does still like to howl sometimes when he is in it and he is still working on housebreaking. He saw our cat for the first time the other day and made a little noise, but didn’t seem to care that he was there after a minute or two. However, Tyo (the cat) kept his distance thereafter. Nova is a very sweet boy who just needs time and patience to adjust. He recently had his first grooming, courtesy of Melissa at And Puppy Dog Tails grooming salon, and he was very good there – I was very proud of him!

Nova at his foster home with a new friend!

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BOTH ADOPTED

Blue & Corona were fostered by 'Carmen Buhler Ferrara.

Blue and Corona entered foster care together and were adopted within a week by separate families.

Their foster mom, ‘Carmen said both girls were shy, but very sweet and that even in the short time they spent with her, they were beginning to trust.

Thank you ‘Carmen for taking care of these two beautiful souls and helping them find their way into their new homes!

Now for some updated photos of Corona and Blue in their new homes!

Corona with her new guardian!

Corona at home.

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ADOPTED

All photos by Melissa - Bandit's Foster Mom.

The following narratives are directly from

Bandit’s foster mom, Melissa Brethour:

Bandit was one of the worst cases in Lachute. When we did the rounds and pet and fed some the dogs, you could tell he was shutting down. He was so scared. He was one of the the first dogs to come off the chain because we were so concerned about him. When we put him in our car, he shut down right away and did not budge. You could tell he was exhausted from his life on a chain, and he lay in the back seat with his head between the two front seats. You could tell that he knew we were there to help and that he wanted affection, he just didn’t know how to ask for it, or how to accept it.

He clearly prefers a bed to the forest floor!

When we would approach him with petting or any sudden movements, he would flinch. It was heartbreaking to know that a dog so loving as him had most likely never been given the opportunity to really connect to someone. When we took him home, he was almost paralyzed in place, not changing position for almost an entire day. He had no knowledge of a leash, a walk, or stairs, and from what it seemed, human affection. We had to lift him down the stairs and have him follow the lead of our super friendly border collie when going for a walk. When we took him out, it was as if he was perfectly housebroken! He seemed to just know, and in the 3 days we had him, we never had an accident. He walked excellently on the leash considering he had been chained to a tree for almost a year.

Bandit and his foster role model!

When we got to the park just around the corner, we saw three tail wags out of him! It really warmed our hearts. We ended up finding him a home through one of the volunteers who was with us the day of the rescue, and we believe they are the perfect match. His owner is very calm, patient and willing to take the time to really get to know this dog who has been through so much.

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Whistler Sled Dog Massacre: An Update

August 13th, 2011

Despite the fact that the inner circles of the sled dog industry would like nothing more than for the world to forget about the 100 sled dogs brutally executed at the Whistler compound last year by one of their own – in fact, by the vice president of their self-proclaimed sled dog welfare organization – the world has no intention of letting this incident leave the limelight.

To date, no findings related to the Whistler case have been released, except for the fact that the forensic specialists have only been able to locate approximately half of the dogs’ bodies in the mass grave. As they continue to search for the rest of the decaying bodies, the evidence already collected is being prepared for submission to the Crown Counsel. According to the BCSPCA, all findings will be submitted, collectively, before the end of August. Hopefully, as we enter September, we will be doing so with a sense of justice – knowing that the people and the sports industry responsible for the deaths of these innocent, sentient creatures are finally being held accountable.

A Surviving Whistler Sled Dog - Photo Credit: The Canadian Press

 

37 Neglected Sled Dogs Seized in Quebec

August 13th, 2011

Thirty-seven sled dogs were recently found chained to trees in Lachute, Quebec with no dog houses or shelter of any kind. These dogs have reportedly been living this way for nearly a year (since September 2010). They were only sparingly offered water, as they reportedly chewed on their bowls and destroyed them out of sheer boredom. Many of the dogs are now emaciated and have a variety of health problems, such as this female with a possibly cancerous lump one her hind end:

Neglected female sled dog with growth.

Five of these dogs were taken into private foster care, and their stories will be worked into this blog as I gain more information. The remaining thirty-two are now in the care of the SPCA Laurentides-Labelle, the same organization which led the rescue of 97 sled dogs almost two years ago from Mount Tremblant. To read my coverage of that story and the adoption work that followed, check out the following three blog entries: 97 Abused Sled Dogs Rescued in Canada, Where Are They Now?, and The Story Continues, One Dog at a Time.

Below are photos of some of the dogs in the care of the SPCA:

Where the dogs were found - chained without shelter, food or water.

Many of the dogs were emaciated, having been neglected for an extended period of time.

It took a lot of neglect for this dog to reach this condition and it will take months of rehabilitation to heal.

There is hope for a new life in the eyes of the innocent.

All photos are courtesy of SPCA Laurentides-Labelle.

Donations for the care of the dogs in possession of the SPCA can be made by phone at 819-326-4059 and online at SPCALL. The rescue’s charity number, duly registered with the government, is 89570 9145 RR0001. On their website, there is an easy PayPal option in the upper left of the homepage.

To learn how this rescue finally occurred due to the efforts of smaller, privately operated rescue organizations and how the government in Quebec fell short in its animal protection duties once again, please visit the Montreal Dog Blog.

To find out how you can donate to the private rescues, please visit their websites at Eleven Eleven Animal Rescue’s Donation Page and Sophie’s Dog Adoption’s Donation Page.

55 Sled Dogs Shot by Musher

August 12th, 2011

Peter Northcutt of Nicaya Kennels is currently pleading not guilty after shooting 55 of his 65 sled dogs where they stood on their chains at his kennel in late July.

One of the surviving dogs. Photo by 8KPAX.

One of the surviving dogs. Photo by Q2KTVQ.

The affidavit states that Northcutt reportedly pointed a shotgun at Sgt. Schmalz and warned him, “you don’t want any part of this, get out of here.” Sgt. Schmalz got back into his vehicle, backed up 400 yards, and called for backup. When the backup officer arrived, Northcutt is said to have shot at the deputies two times. The deputies were not injured and did not return fire.

According to the affidavit, during the standoff, Northcutt could be seen walking in the dog kennels on  his property, where he is said to have shot approximately 55 of his dogs. After he shot the dogs he moved their bodies into star type formations and patterns. 10 dogs were left alive.

The standoff lasted several hours. The court documents state after the dogs were killed the defendant laid down among the formation and became unresponsive.

The above quote was taken from the Pet-Abuse.com case file for this incident, which can be followed here.

The remaining ten Siberian Husky sled dogs have since found new homes, though where has not been disclosed.

Peter Northcutt was an active member of the professional mushing community and has competed in such races as Race To The Sky and was training for and planning to enter the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race – one of the world’s cruelest and most dangerous sled dog races.

Below are a few photos from the Nicaya website of the racing Siberian Husky sled dogs who lost their lives at the hands of their cruel musher. May they rest in peace.

Photo from NicayaSiberians.com

Photo from NicayaSiberians.com

The Whistler 100

March 19th, 2011

The photo above was created by someone on Facebook and quickly spread throughout the online community. If someone would like to take credit for it, feel free to contact me and I will gladly list you as the creator.

If you’ve been anywhere near a computer in the last two months, you’ve likely been made aware of the brutal execution of 100 sled dogs at a touring kennel in Whistler, BC Canada. Bob Fawcett, a man who I actually met some years ago on the racing circuit, killed these dogs in plain sight of their teammates. Methods of execution included gunshot and knifing. Below are excerpts from the documentation he submitted to WorkSafe BC:

As a result of the panic, mid-way through April 21st, he wounded by did not kill one dog, “Suzie.” Suzie was the mother of his family’s pet dog, “Bumble.” He had to chase Suzie through the yard because the horrific noise she made when wounded caused him to drop the leash. Although she had the left side of her cheek blown off and her eye hanging out, he was unable to catch her. He then obtained a gun with a scope and used it to shoot her when she settled down close to another group of dogs… After disposing of Suzie’s body, he noticed that another dog, “Poker,” was injured. He realized that when he shot Suzie, the bullet passed through and injured Poker. Poker was covered in blood from a neck wound and covered in his own feces. He believed that Poker suffered for approximately 15 minutes before he could be put down.

Part of the kennel at Whistler. Photo Credit: BCSPCA

On April 21, 2010, he put down approximately 55 dogs. As he neared the end of the cull that day, the dogs were so panicked they were biting him… He also had to perform what he described as “execution style” killings where he wrestled the dogs to the ground and stood on them with one foot to shoot them. The last few kills were “multiple-shot” killings as he was simply unable to get a clean shot. He described a guttural sound he had never heard before from the dogs and fear in their eyes… The incidents on April 23, 1020, were worse than those on April 21, 2010… The fear and anxiety in the herd began almost immediately. Many of the killings were multiple-shot-execution-style and it took a great amount of time and wrestling to get the dogs in a position to be put down… He noticed that a female, “Nora,” who had been shot approxiamtely 20 minute before, was crawling around in the mass grave he had dug for the animals. He had to climb down into the grave amidst the 10 or so bodies already there, and put her out of her misery… Shortly thereafter, he grazed an uncooperative male, taking off part of his head. The dog bolted and the worker realized he was out of ammunition. When he went to get more, he was attacked by the dog and had to kill the dog with his knife, by slitting its throat while the dog was on top of him.

Part of the kennel at Whistler. Photo Credit: Vancouver Sun

While the slaughter and disposal of sled dogs who are no longer “of use” is not an unusual occurrence in the mushing industry, the story of The Whistler 100 stands out for a variety of reasons:

  • The sheer number of dogs involved (100) instantly moved this case to the forefront of the media.
  • The fact that the employee who committed these horrific acts filed a worker’s compensation report, attempting to distance himself and even gain a reward for his actions, gave this case an interesting legal twist.
  • The actual report, which contains extremely graphic descriptions of how he killed the dogs, was made public and quickly circulated through social media. If you would like to view it, you may do so by clicking here. Please be aware that what is depicted is graphic and may be disturbing to some viewers.
  • Another important factor that drew worldwide attention is that Bob Fawcett (the man who brutally killed these dogs) was a well-known and very accomplished member of the mushing community and an influential member of Mush With PRIDE – the industry’s self-proclaimed sled dog welfare group. PRIDE promptly contacted the media and made a public statement that Bob was to be immediately removed from any and all positions within the organization in a frantic attempt to distance themselves and make it look like this practice is not a regular part of sled dog sports.

Since this horrific ordeal hit mainstream media, the mushing community as a collective whole has been rushing to “cover their butts.” Arguably the most popular sled dog site on the internet, Sled Dog Central has forbid its members from discussing the Whistler case on its forums. The site administrators have also kept any mention of this case at all from its vast website, including any discussion of how inquiring patrons could donate to other sled dogs in need or assist the dogs remaining at the Whistler compound. You’d think that if the mushing community was really as outraged as they claim, that they would take a proactive approach and utilize their sport’s most visited website to make a positive change.

Though the loss of these 100 sled dogs is tragic, hopefully they will not have died in vain. If you’re like me and want to see some serious change in sled dog sports that will provide greater protection for sled dogs and enact detailed regulations for mushers, stay tuned for news from the Sled Dog Task Force later this month. An extensive report created by the task force over the past two months is expected to be delivered to the Canadian Minister of Agriculture, Gerry Ritz, on March 25th.

2nd 2011 Yukon Quest Dog Death

February 22nd, 2011

“At 21:20 AST Race Marshall Hans Oettli stated that Geronimo, a dog on Hugh Neff’s team, had expired. The Race Officials and Race Veterinarians were present when Hugh Neff and his team arrived into Mile 101. Head Veterinarian Al Hallman said a necropsy will be conducted.”

Read more: Yukon Quest Official Statement – February 14, 2011

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“Yukon Quest International Sled Dog Race Head Vet Allan Hallman this evening announced the results of the necropsy completed by Dr. Christine Christensen, Veterinary Pathologist on the deceased dog Geronimo, belonging to Hugh Neff.

The necropsy revealed no trauma or abuse. The results show that Geronimo had an aspiration of stomach contents go into his lungs, the official terminology being Aspiration Asphyxia. A histopathological examination of tissue will be completed with results available in two to four weeks,” stated Hallman. Race Marshall Hans Oettli has been informed and officially accepted the results presented by the veterinary team.”

Read more: Yukon Quest Official Statement – February 16, 2011

The dog who died was a three-year-old named Geronimo.

His photos are below (credit: laughingeyeskennel.com):

Rest in Peace dearest Geronimo.

Dog Dies in Yukon Quest

February 13th, 2011

“A dog from veteran Yukon Quest musher Brent Sass’s team died Saturday.

Sass came into the Slaven’s Roadhouse dog drop at 7:20 p.m. carrying the dead dog in his sled bag.

All that Quest Head Veterinarian Alan Hallman knew was that the death was sudden. The name of the dog was not known.

The official cause of death won’t be known until a necropsy is performed. Those results may take a while.

“Sometimes it’s obvious, like aspiration pneumonia,” Hallman said. “But it appears at this point it was just a sudden death.”

Race Marshal Hans Oettli said race officials wouldn’t make a decision on Sass’s race status until the results of the necropsy.

The rules state that a musher can be disqualified for a dog death; however, it is a rare occurrence. A race official said that Sass is known for his good dog care and that there is no intention to remove him from the race.

Sass left Slaven’s Roadhouse at 4:16 a.m. Sunday, heading to Circle.

Officials did not know whether Sass would continue to race or not.”

Read more: Fairbanks Daily News-Miner – Sled dog on Brent Sass’ team dies

The dog who died was a six-year-old named Taco.

His photos are below (credit: wildandfreealaska.com):

Rest In Peace dearest Taco.


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