On the Krabloonik Dogs

I was supposed to be in Aspen for nine days, starting today. I'd be staying at the St. Regis and spending lots of money there and in town. The petsitter situation became unworkable, however, and alas, I'm sitting at my dining room table rather than on a plane. Now, I could easily have rescheduled my trip, but when I found out about the Krabloonik Sled dogs I was so disgusted that I didn't want to give Aspen/Snowmass a penny.

There was a meeting of the Krabloonik Advisory Board on Tuesday to discuss what can be done for the dogs and here's the odd thing: outsiders, who specifically state that they're not animal rights activists or interested in closing down the Krabloonik operation, are working with the people who own the operation to improve the treatment of the dogs. Krabloonik has been noncompliant with state regulations for years and when you see the shocking way they dogs are kept, you might just wonder why the people who are interested in "giving these dogs a voice" have as their goal the better treatment of the dogs rather than the shutting down of the operation. It's one of the most horrific scenes I've witnessed.

And what's more, the public is being asked to donate for things like: water cans for the dogs or veterinary care, and of course to improve the conditions of the Krabloonik dogs.

I don't get it.

The point is to treat the dogs better between other abusive situations during their chained lives of slavery?

Why not work to shut down such an egregious torture camp? Why continue to support an industry that will use and treat dogs the way Dan MacEachen (Krabloonik's owner) does? From what I can see, Dan MacEachen shouldn't be allowed to be within a mile of a dog and he should never be permitted to own one. Period.

It's insulting to the dogs to say that a new can or some time off of their six-foot chain that they're stuck with six months out of the year is enough. The dogs should be treated, rehabilitated, and adopted to good homes. Krabloonik should be shut down. I don't see much of a difference between Dan MacEachen and Michael Vick, and I'm frankly shocked that there isn't demand for far more for these poor dogs. 

Comments

[Bea Elliott]

Just horrible... what ugly treatment for "man's best friend".
I agree emphatically "Krabloonik should be shut down". Then owners should be subjected to the same treatment as they've given their dogs - ten fold!

[Terry Cumming]

Mary - thank you for giving your important voice for the dogs. Of course, this disgusting concentration camp/gulag must be shut down permanently and these dogs taken away from McEachen (an ex-Idiotarod musher who uses that crowning glory to justify his enslavement of dogs - many Idiotarod and Yukon Quest mushers make money off sled dog tour businesses, the races serve as a loss leader to give these people advertising and 'street cred' for that purpose). A highly publicized campaign (a la Oprah/Ellen De Generes) would perhaps help to find them good homes - and not to other dog mushers/sled dog tour operators who will exploit them in a "kinder and gentler" manner.

Krabloonik would, in my opinion, definitely qualify as one of the worst examples of North American sled dog tour businesses, but even the so-called "good ones" put a priority on serving the mass numbers of tourists who want a "dog mushing experience" and the dogs come (often literally) dead last. Shame on the state of Colorado, shame on the human race.

[Dan]

What I see is more hypocrisy of HSUS and non-vegans criticizing one form of intentional cruelty and exploitation while endorsing another (e.g. their food choices). I don’t see a significant difference between Dan MacEachen, Michael Vick, and your average non-vegan.

The dogs are Dan’s property. I don’t see what the problem is other than Dan *owns* dogs the way I own a car. If I want to mistreat my car, since it is my property, I ought to be able to mistreat it. It’s the same with Dan and his dogs. There’s nothing that can or should be done about this except to eliminate the property status of nonhuman beings, and thereby eliminating the inherent imbalance of legal interests between humans and non-humans.

Aside from that, welcome to Colorado and the intermountain west. Next to Alaska, it’s one of the most animal-unfriendly places in the US.

[Animal Advocates Society of BC]

Instead of attempting to improve MacEarchern's Gulag with more pails for water, these people should be using whatever donations they get to hire lawyers and p.r. people (if they can't get pro-bono assistance) and force the law to seize the dogs.

But before a dog is seized, they need a committee to raise funds to pay for all the costs necessary to physically, mentally, and behaviourally rehabilitate the dogs; a committee that will offer to take on the dogs;, a committee who will raise the cry of murder! if the law kills even one dog!

The internet is stopping animal-law enforcers from killing seized animals. It is happening all over North America.

It happened for many of the Vick Pit Bulls and it can and must be done for these dogs.

Who are these people that they aren't doing that? Why are they making the dogs wait so long? Why are they only offering to get the dogs better prison conditions? Why would they be seen to be 'working with' a man who does this to helpless creatures?

[Leigh Vogel]

You should contact the Aspen Times, Aspen Daily News, and Aspen/Snowmass.