Mother & Daughter starving in Tuk April 24 2009
TUKTOYUKTUK – CRUELTY CAPITAL OF CANADA???
This week, Linda Eccles, Executive Director for the Beaufort Delta Regional SPCA, made yet another grisly discovery. That of two more dogs chained, starving and without shelter in the now infamous Hamlet of Tuktoyaktuk, NT which is located along the shores of the Beaufort Sea. She again felt the need to contact PETA as well as the Canadian Federation of Humane Societies. In turn I have contacted as many organizations and government officials as possible requesting support and intervention.
The two husky-cross females, mother and young daughter are in crisis. Starving, suffering from the extreme cold, without sufficent body mass to maintain and generate body heat. Chained too far apart to even huddle together for warmth Tuktoyaktuk is in the Arctic Circle remember. Sub-Zero temperatures will kill an unprotected human within minutes.
Linda approached the youngster and found her to be at first skittish, but welcoming of her attention and very gentle. Ms. Eccles spoke with the owner and advised her of the deplorable condition of her animals and the need for proper shelter and nutrition. Ms. Eccles then had to walk away broken hearted that even as a qualified Animal Cruelty Inspector she is powerless. She does not have the legal authority necessary to seize the two dogs which are in crisis in order that their lives may be saved with needed medical attention and proper nutrition. She cannot even bring them food as she could be charged for trespassing.
What about the By-Law officer one might ask? He does not have the legal authority to seize animals in crisis either. Tuktoyaktuk has a zero tolerance policy on strays, the legal authority which the By-Law officer has is shoot to kill, not intervention.
Ms. Eccles has reported her findings and provided pictures of these dogs to the RCMP Detachment responsible for policing Tuktoyaktuk. Unable to speak directly with any Constable at the time she called yesterday, and met with alledged mild hostility for having contacted PETA once again, she is still awaiting the courtesy of a return phone call.
The situation in Tuktoyaktuk is one of crisis. The Pokiak case already described in previous blog articles, was a perfect example of the failure to intervene by Hamlet Officials and policing authorities. The three surviving Pokiak dogs which were alledgely to have been taken in and cared for by another of Pokiak’s relatives, are nowhere to be found and are presumed dead.
The shelter facility which Linda established seven years ago is now inaccessible to her as she was wrongly dismissed as By-Law Offier of the town alittle over a year ago. It has been taken over by the Town and is allegedly mishandled, what animals that are confined there are existing in deplorable unsanitary conditions. The contract Linda had arranged with the existing Airline which services that area has also been taken over by the town. Linda was, when she ran the facility, able to fly animals to other Southern shelters for both medical treatment and adoption. As Ms. Eccles reported to me, no animal has been sent from that facility since October 2008.
While the GNWT Legislature is now in the process of preparing An Animal Protection Act for the Territory, it is expected that this will not come into law until Fall 2009. The government process is slow everywhere. In the meantime, animals such as those of Bechoko’s reknown Dene Artist Archie Beaulieu’s (44 dogs required destruction) (Crown failed to prosecute the charge of animal cruelty which was laid) and those of Pokiak (starved to death in Tuk) will continue to endure extreme suffering at the hands of indifferent and irresponsible owners, chained, without proper shelter and nutrition, left to starve and freeze to death.
This week I called for the immediate intervention in the issues of animal cruelty in Tuktoyaktuk. This action included the pictures of these two particular dogs and was made to the Members of the Legislature and the Ministers of this government. A response has yet to be received.
Ms. Eccles needs the complete and unquestioned support of both the Hamlet Officials and the RCMP Detachment in order to save these and other animals in her area. Any failure of support by both the Hamlet and legal authorities is a condonement of the continuing suffering of these animals and is unforgiveable.
Please support our ongoing efforts to protect, to save and make positive change by contacting those listed below. These are senitient creatures, they require the same necessities for life that we all do. Please make the calls, send faxes, emails, whatever it takes. Tuktoyaktuk is a shameful disgrace to not only the Northwest Territories but the whole of Canada. Government intervention to have Tuktoyaktuk clean up its Act is needed; Goverment intervention stressing to the legal authorities policing this area that this continued and unchecked animal cruelty will not be tolerated is a must.
Thank you for your support. Contact information is below links. To view more of what is going on the North:
Animal cruelty sparks resident action
Taloyoak man jailed for “vicious” attack on family pet
Animal violence may start to hurt owners
Dead puppies found in garbage bag
Dogs in Tuk likely died of illness
SPCA calls for new euthanasia laws
CONTACT INFORMATION
RCMP Detachment Tuk: 867-977-1111 Fax: 867-977-2293
Debbie Raddi, Senior Administrative Officer (Hamlet of Tuktoyuktuk 997-2286 fax 977-2110, same mailing address as below:
her email: debbieraddi@airwave.ca
Mayor: Mervin Gruben: 867-977-2286 P.O. Box 120, Tuktoyyktuk,NT X0E 1C0
Marys Nassar, Canada Crown Attorney, 107 Mackenzie Rd., Suite 201, Inuvik, NT X0E 0T0 867-777-3075 fax 867-777-3260
Hon. Robert McLeod, Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs 867-669-2399
Member’s office:
P.O. Box 1320; Yellowknife, NT; X1A 2L9
Phone: 867-669-2366; Fax: 867-873-0431
robert_c_mcleod@gov.nt.ca
Constituency office:
P.O. Box 3130; Inuvik, NT; X0E 0T0
Phone: 867-678-2429; Fax: 867-678-2431
Hon. Jackson Lafferty, Minister of Justice 867-669-2388
Minister’s office:
P.O. Box 1320; Yellowknife, NT; X1A 2L9
P: 867-669-2399; F: 867-873-0169
jackson_lafferty@gov.nt.ca
Hon Floyd Roland, Premier NWT 867-669-2311
Legislative Assembly Building
4570 48th Street
Yellowknife, NT X1A 2L9
Hon. Paul Delorey, MLA, Hay River North
Speaker’s office:
P.O. Box 1320; Yellowknife, NT; X1A 2L9
Phone: 867-669-2234; Fax: 867-873-0273
paul_delorey@gov.nt.ca
Constituency office:
Suite 202, 76 Capital Drive; Hay River, NT; X0E 1G2
Phone: 867-874-6301; Fax: 867-874-6079
Hon. Robert Bromley, MLA, Weledeh
Member’s office:
P.O. Box 1320
Yellowknife, NT X1A 2L9
Phone: 867-669-2272
Fax: 867-873-0276
bob_bromley@gov.nt.ca
Dave Ramsay, MLA, Kam Lake
Member’s office:
P.O. Box 1320
Yellowknife, NT X1A 2L9
Phone: 867-669-2296
Fax: 867-873-0276
david_ramsay@gov.nt.ca
Posted in dogs in Canada's north, Fate of Sled Dogs, Recognizing Animal Cruelty Tagged: ALERT, animal cruelty in Canada's North, animal legislation issues, Beaufort Delta Regional SPCA, Canada, dog abuse, dogs
