Veteran musher calls on Quest to confront possible dog culling

Mushers runningthe Yukon Quest International Sled Dog Race should have to sign a declarationthat they do not cull unwanteddogs and puppies, long-time competitor Frank Turner says.

Although there have been huge improvements in sled-dog care over the past several decades, Turner says the issue of culling still needs to come out of the shadows.

"Competitive kennels, or even kennels that may not be competitive but aspire to be,often breed more dogs than they're actually going to be able to keep, afford to keep and pay for the vet bills, the food and all the other associated costs," Turner told CBC News in a recent pre-race interview.

"If you added up the numbers, there's no way all those other puppies or young dogs are going to be sold or given away to homes. We're just breeding too many dogs."

The Yukon Quest should admit that culling is part ofthe competitive racing world andtake measures to discourage it, he said.

"I mean one of the things that the Quest could do is on the entry form is do a declaration to participate in the Quest you declare that you do not practise culling of dogs," he said.

The race does not have a policy on culling.

Quest race marshal Mike McCowan would not say whether culling is a common practice when asked about it Thursday.

"It's not our business," McCowan said. "I mean it's like going up to somebody and saying, 'How do you make your bed in your own house.' That's not our business."

Twenty-eight mushers, including Turner, are set to start the 1,600-kilometre race from Whitehorse, Yukon, to Fairbanks, Alaska, on Saturday morning.