These are excerpts from a Northern News Services article: Yellowknife (Aug 19/02)
“The Beaufort Delta SPCA is asking for help in finding the person responsible for starving and shooting a dog on the outskirts of Inuvik last week.”
“The dog was discovered weak, but still alive, tied to a tree by a short length of rope.
It had been shot in the head several days earlier. A few paces away, a dead husky was tied to another tree”
“Clovis Savoie, a 41-year-old welder, stumbled across the two animals Thursday morning. “I just about threw up,” Savoie said. “It’s sick to see something like that. That poor thing, just skin and bones. And it’s not a bad dog. It was jumping up, asking to go home.”
“The dog was a male German shepherd-mixed breed…..”
“Inuvik bylaw officer Randy Shermack said the north end of Navy Road seems to be a favourite location for people wanting to get rid of unwanted dogs. It’s happened out there on numerous occasions. We find dogs with plywood on their heads, shot.”
I got the further account of this story from the Executive Director of the Beaufort Delta SPCA. This dog, the one still alive, received a through and through gunshot to the head. Despite hoping the animal could be saved, it needed to be humanely put down. Right up to that very moment, moment of final release by lethal injection, this animal stood by my friend, wagging his tail and licking her hand.
I have to ask each of you. What would you have done? How would you have felt? How do you presently feel? Are you as outraged and disgusted as this writer or the people involved in finding and trying to save this animal? A perfectly health dog, tied to a tree, shot in the head, left for dead, but there alive for days, suffering from starvation, shock and a bullet wound, all the while waiting for his owner to return.
This is a far too frequent occurence and it is going on even now as I enter this new post. Animals of the North are in crisis, they need my help, they need your help if this blatant and willful cruelty is to end. Please speak up for these animals, make your voices loud and clear so that they will be heard. Feel very proud that you are doing so. SHOUT IT OUT. Please help to end this now.
I remember as a small child more than forty years ago hearing about northern dogs.. why are we half a century later and no progress?
Why is there no progress? A question that requires an answer.
The answer is because of complacency. Complacency on the part of our wonderful government, complacency on the part of the policing officials who turn a blind eye to save time on paperwork, complacency on the people who are witnessing acts of cruelty and wilful neglect, those who turn away and do not speak up, do not get involved.
Add to that the total apparent indifference that is spreading like a plague. The decline of moral conscious, fear, selfishness and ignorance. All of these wonderful human factors result in the continued cruelty being put upon totally defenseless animals. Animals can only speak with their eyes, they cannot run to authorities to report harassment,assault or sexual attack. Yes, that last part, bestiality is also going on, as reported to this writer.
A half century from now it will all still be going on, and exactly for the reasons which I gave above. Unless a miracle happens. Unless our voices, the voices who speak out for those who cannot, are heard loud and clear, that miracle will never happen.
So SHOUT as LOUD as you can, wherever you are, whatever you are doing SHOUT so that THEIR plea is heard.
I don’t see why the dogs have to suffer over the owers stupidity i think that is so stupid i am only 13 and i would’t treat an animal like that in a million yeats
Thank you for your most valued comment Felicity. You are obviously a very caring and loving person towards animals. That encourages me to continue to speak for the animals who cannot speak for themselves. They are very worthy of our love and respect. As you are worthy of my respect for the comment which you made.