| Safety and
Health of the Dogs. The
welfare of the dogs is always paramount in a sled dog
race. The International
Sled Dog Racing Association gives the highest priority to
the welfare of the canine athletes that are our partners in the
wonderful world of sled dog sports. To underscore that
commitment, each sanctioned event is provided with our Animal
Welfare policy as an important component of their sanctioning
materials. The full text of the Animal Welfare Policy is
presented below;
Animal
Welfare Policy
A. Animal Welfare
(PDF copy)
Participants in any sanctioned event agree to abide by the
following statement: There shall be no cruel, inhumane or
abusive treatment of any dog, through deliberate action or
inaction, through knowledge or ignorance, with or without
implement, nor shall anyone deny a dog adequate care.
Examples of willful acts considered to be in violation
include (but not limited to):
1. Continuing to race a dog when it is injured, ill, or
too fatigued.
2. Maintaining dogs in obese or mal-nourished condition and
asking them to compete in race situations competitively.
3. Disciplining a dog out of anger rather than a means of
correction.
All violations of this policy shall be brought to the Board
of Directors for record. For violations not specifically covered
in this policy, "Mush
with P.R.I.D.E. Sled Dog Care Guidelines" will be used
as reference.
B. Injury
Any injury that occurs to a dog at a sanctioned event
shall be reported to the Race Marshal, so that a log may be kept
in order to eliminate further injuries. This report must not be
used solely to find that any abuse has occurred. This policy
shall also be in effect for dogs that expire while at a
sanctioned event or because of their attendance at an event. The
outcome of any Veterinary care should also be reported.
This report shall contain:
The suspected injury
The location the injury occurred (at the event)
Possible cause of the injury
What first aid was applied
Whether Veterinary services were sought
Any findings from a Veterinary examination. (either at the
event or post event)
These reports will be kept in a file with the Race
Marshal for the race season and then turned over to the Director
of Timing. The Director of Timing will maintain a club record of
injuries. The record will be kept on file with the hope that
further injuries can be avoided.
C. Reporting Procedure
Suspected infractions of any portion of this policy
must be reported to the Race Marshal within one hour of the
infraction. This report can be verbal but must then be followed
by a written report within one half hour of the verbal report.
NO action can be taken without a written report.
D. Definitions
The following definitions shall be used for
enforcement of this policy:
ABUSE is an action that
inflicts excessive or unnecessary pain or injury to a dog.
DISCIPLINE is an action that
causes a desired reaction. Discipline is the act which takes
place at the instance of the action to be corrected (Not
Later).
INJURY causes a dog pain or
suffering in normal use or tenderness to the touch.
ADEQUATE CARE is positive
interaction, thus providing proper food, water, shelter,
sanitary conditions and Veterinary medical attention needed to
maintain a state of good health.
E. Enforcement
The Race Marshal and The Board of Directors make up
the enforcement panel. The Race Marshal shall be the key focal
point for all violations. All reports of violations shall first
be brought to the Race Marshal. The Race Marshal will be the
chief investigator and will compile and bring the facts to the
Board of Directors. The Enforcement Panel will assess all
violations and institute all penalties.
F. Penalties
Penalties for violations of this policy may include
any of the following as deemed appropriate by the enforcement
panel.
All parties involved in the report will be notified
and action by the enforcement panel will be in a timely manner.
1. Acquittal: Written letter confirming acquittal of
any violation.
2. Warnings: Written warnings will be issued for minor
violations.
3. Disqualification/ Suspensions: Disqualification and/or
suspensions could exclude the member from participation
privileges in club events. A suspension will require a simple
majority decision of the Enforcement Panel.
4. Dismissal: A dismissal will include a letter stating that
membership and/or participation privileges have been revoked.
A violation which leads to this action will also be reported
to the Board of Directors of neighboring clubs. A dismissal
will require a 2/3 majority decision of the Enforcement Panel.
A member receiving three warnings or two disqualification /
suspensions can be cause for dismissal.
5. Any person convicted in a court of law for animal abuse or
neglect will be denied membership and racing privileges.
Adopted by the Board of Directors,
September, 23rd, 1998
Fairbanks, Alaska |
