British Columbia's government hinted that it may change the rules in the province's largely self-regulated dogsledding industry, after 100 dogs were slaughtered near Whistler.
According to a report filed to WorkSafe BC, the province's workers' compensation board, a former dog sled owner slaughtered the dogs last April, after an expected post-Olympic tourism boom failed to materialize.
SPCA investigator Eileen Drever called the deaths of the dogs and the manner in which they were killed, "horrific."
The RCMP is also probing the culll, as well as a number of "serious" threatening emails and web postings that news of the slaughter provoked.
Mounties said the investigation could take months, as it will take time to dig up the mass grave where the dogs were dumped.
BC Minister of Agriculture Ben Stewart said that his department will be watching the investigations to see whether changes should be made. However, for now he's assuming that the Whistler slaughter is an isolated incident, he said.
"I don't know the outcome of the investigation, and until it's complete, I wouldn't want to presuppose that there is more than one instance of this," Stewart told The Canadian Press.
"If it is one individual that is not going to operate (regardless of) what regulations or fines that we have in place, it would be difficult to presume what would fix the issue."
Dogsledding businesses must abide by animal cruelty laws. Stewart said the province's sled dog association has its own voluntary guidelines and that municipal governments can pass their own regulations.
"This is one area that we'll be looking to work with other communities that have these types of businesses operating," Stewart said. "It is a relatively small industry. Local government is obviously often the first people that are aware of these types of things."
The man who slaughtered the dogs, using a gun and knife, is an employee of Outdoor Adventures Whistler. When called at his Pemberton address, CTV British Columbia was told he had moved.
The allegations sparked outrage at home and abroad and the RCMP has opened a second investigation into email and online threats.
The RCMP has not disclosed who the threatened party is but the person has taken protective action, Staff Sgt. Steve Leclair told CTV British Columbia.
Craig Beattie, who offers dogsled tours through Whistler-based Canadian Snowmobile, said he would be happy to see more provincial oversight of dogsledding operations.
"There should be annual inspections of kennels, there should be standards of where the dogs should be housed, the type of vehicle they're transported in," he said. "There's just nobody to inspect it."
In a statement released Wednesday, Humane Society International demanded stronger provincial and federal regulations in the dogsledding industry, particularly pertaining to animal care.
Meanwhile the Vancouver Humane Society has asked that the industry be banned outright.
The SPCA can conduct inspections in situations where animals are for sale or for hire. But a spokesperson for the non-profit organization said they don't have the resources to respond to all complaints.
"We have 25 officers for the entire province, so most of our activity has to be on the urgency of complaints that we're receiving," said Lorie Chortyk.
The dogs that were killed were under the control of Howling Dog Tours, which managed them for tour operator Outdoor Adventures Whistler.
Outdoor Adventures Whistler has distanced itself from Howling Dogs, saying it only had a financial interest in the company until it took control of Howling Dogs in May 2010.
Outdoor Adventures also announced Tuesday it had voluntarily suspended operations of Howling Dog Tours.
With files from The Canadian Press
