B.C. sled dog slaughter leads to new animal cruelty code

British Columbia now has the toughest animal-cruelty laws in the country, a year after the discovery by the SPCA of a mass grave ofup to 100 sled dogs in Whistler.

Theprovincial government has introduced the Sled Dog Code of Practice, which sets standards for health, nutrition, housing, working conditions, transportation and euthanasia.

Marcie Moriarty of the SPCA says the code will provide minimum standards that will improve the welfare of working dogs.

The issue arose last year when a leaked workers' compensation claim indicated a man working for tour company Outdoor Adventures had developed post-traumatic stress disorder after killing the animals following the 2010 Winter Olympics.

The discovery of the slaughterhorrified the province and led toamendments to the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, increasing fines for animal cruelty convictions to a maximum of $75,000 and allowingjail terms of up to two years.

It alsoincreased funding for the SPCA, which hired a team of internationally recognized forensic experts andexhumed the bodies of 52 of the dogsin May last year.

Outdoor Adventures has since beentransformed into a not-for-profit foundationthat uses its proceeds to improve animal welfare. No criminal charges were ever laid.