Vigil for culled sled dogs held in North Vancouver
Posted Apr 23, 2011 4:53 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
NORTH VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – It’s been a year since a hundred sled dogs were slaughtered near Whistler. Tonight, a vigil has been held in North Vancouver to remember the killings.
More than a hundred animal lovers and their four-legged friends came to North Vancouver’s Shipbuilders Square, including Vancouver East NDP candidate Libby Davies, who feels government must play a greater role in protecting animals. “It’s very tragic that something like this has to galvanize us into action. So I wanted to be here today to add our voice and to let you know that what happens in Canada’s Parliament is really important on this issue and we must continue to work very hard.”
City of North Vancouver Mayor Darrell Mussatto proclaimed April 23rd a memorial day for the slaughtered sled dogs at the event. “In order to have a pet, you have to be a responsible pet owner. And people who use animals as part of their work, they have to treat them humanely, and I don’t think that has been done in all instances in the past, so it’s time that we made some changes and made it more responsible for owners of all animals.”
Crystal Arber is one of the vigil organizers and says they wanted to hold a special memorial for the culled dogs. “It might sound tacky. Or not tacky, but hokey. Some people think it’s hokey. I think it’s really necessary, given the horrific way that they died.”
Organizers also gathered signatures for a petition supporting federal bill C-229 which would beef up the Criminal Code as it relates to animal cruelty.
The vigil was one of 40 similar events happening around the world.
