Six former sled dogs are still looking to be adopted.
The dogs are part of a group of 86 dogs that were surrendered to Whistler Animals Galore Society after their former caretaker the Whistler Sled Dog Company closed its doors earlier this year.
The company accepted responsibility for the Outdoor Adventure Kennel after the slaughter of 56 sled dogs near Whistler in the wake of 2010 Olympics, but had to shut down operations because of the challenges of running a commercially-viable business while still maintaining a high ethical standard.
Angela Fulton with Whistler Animals Galore Society says the six remaining dogs have been placed in animal shelters throughout the province and are still looking for a loving family to adopt them.
“It is interesting to see the dogs that are left, they are not the ones that I would expect to be adopted last,” says Fulton. “There are still some very good dogs out there. I would still encourage people to check out the shelters.”
Fulton says the adoption program has been very successful.
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She says many people are realizing it is not as tricky to care for retired sled dogs as originally thought.
Even though some dogs are lacking proper training, most have been in shelters long enough that house training is not much of an issue.
“They have been well socialized with other dogs, but they did not have a lot of exposure to people. So some of them are a little bit shy and have not been taught basic commands. Basically, anybody looking to adopt would just need to have the patience to work through that.”
Still, Fulton says a transition to a life inside a house can be quite a big deal for older dogs.
“For some dogs, the transition is straight away. They are just happy to be on a soft bed and not having to be outside. Whereas for others, it definitely takes them a little bit longer to really feel comfortable again.”
The shelters currently in custody of the remaining sled dogs are:
–Sechelt SPCA
–Burnaby SPCA
–West Vancouver SPCA
–WAG in Whistler
For more information on how to adopt these sled dogs, go to the BC SPCA adoption page or the Whistler Animal Galore website.
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