http://www.vancouversun.com/news ... /4236415/story.html
Owner of sled dog company Outdoor Adventures speaks out
Vancouver Sun February 7, 2011 11:09 AM
Vancouver Sun reporter Kim Pemberton will this morning interview Joey Houssian, president and owner of Outdoor Adventures at Whistler Ltd., the company involved in the slaughter of 100 of its own sled dogs. That story will be posted online this afternoon. Below is a letter to the editor from Mr. Houssian, which was published in today's print edition of the Vancouver Sun:
This has been a very difficult week for my colleagues, my community and the public. I share people's sadness and disbelief regarding the events surrounding the treatment of some of our dogs as described in the WorkSafeBC ruling. Due to the ongoing investigations and the nature of the allegations, it continues to take time to collect the facts, and we are limited in terms of what we can say publicly.
While the facts and legal responsibility for them is being investigated, I take moral responsibility for everything that happens within my company. I, more than anyone, want to understand the truth about what happened and what was described.
I would like to correct some misinformation that is still circulating. As my company, Outdoor Adventures at Whistler, stated earlier in the week, we did not become aware of the contents of the WorkSafeBC ruling until it was sent to us less than a week ago, and have been working to piece together the facts so that I, and the rest of the world, can understand what actually happened surrounding the events of April 2010.
While it has been reported that Outdoor Adventures signed the reports detailing the incident, in reality, we did not. Both the employee report and the employer report were filled out and signed by the claimant. According to the
WorkSafeBC ruling, these two reports contained significant discrepancies. We are investigating the background to this and other aspects of the WorkSafeBC ruling.
As explained in our earlier statements, we did know that dogs would be euthanized in the spring of 2010. Our understanding was that some old and sick dogs needed to be put down. Additionally, a number of healthy dogs were successfully adopted and given new homes throughout Canada.
I want to emphasize that the decision to euthanize dogs was not the result of a slowdown in business after the Olympics. In fact, our business had been steadily improving since the Olympics and we had been investing significantly in the operation, the kennel and the quality of life for our dogs. A visit to our kennel or a discussion with any of our staff will confirm this, as does a recent veterinarian report and an inspection by the SPCA conducted earlier this week.
None of this changes the fact that dogs were put down. However, we had every reason to believe this would be done in a professional and humane manner.
It is important for me to acknowledge that there are many people affected by this matter, not least the family of the individual at the heart of this investigation. He and his family are good people, and my heart goes out to all of them.
Also lost in the media coverage is the simple fact that these people love dogs. I share this love of animals as do all the staff at Howling Dog Tours Whistler Inc. People don't choose to work with dogs if they don't love them.
I share the grief that my colleagues and their families, my community and the public are feeling. To everyone who is taking the time to pause, examine the available facts, and recognize the complexity of this matter before rushing to judgment, I extend my deepest appreciation.
Joey Houssian
President and Owner of Outdoor Adventures at Whistler Ltd., the parent company of Howling Dog Tours Whistler Inc. |
發表於 2011-2-7 13:42
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