I Was a Sled Dog is a long-term, on-going project which advocates for the adoption of former working sled dogs. It began in 2012 as a response to the 2010 Whistler, BC post-Olympic sled dog massacre and the subsequent myths that the surviving dogs were feral, unadoptable and wouldn't be happy living in homes, when a re-homing plan was put in place for the survivors.
Through over a decade of following the post-working lives of sled dogs through photographs and supporting stories, this project aims to educate while dispelling those myths perpetuated by an industry who relies on self-governance, outdated animal husbandry practices and antiquated views of dogs as non-sentient individuals.
With sled dogs being viewed as different than the dogs we share our homes with by the public at large, those who use and exploit them, including government lawmakers, and even those whose job it is to protect them, I hope that the stories and photographs shared throughout this site of the more than 250 former sled dogs I've met over the last decade, will help prove otherwise.
Being an unwanted, unneeded sled dog should not be a death sentence.
Through over a decade of following the post-working lives of sled dogs through photographs and supporting stories, this project aims to educate while dispelling those myths perpetuated by an industry who relies on self-governance, outdated animal husbandry practices and antiquated views of dogs as non-sentient individuals.
With sled dogs being viewed as different than the dogs we share our homes with by the public at large, those who use and exploit them, including government lawmakers, and even those whose job it is to protect them, I hope that the stories and photographs shared throughout this site of the more than 250 former sled dogs I've met over the last decade, will help prove otherwise.
Being an unwanted, unneeded sled dog should not be a death sentence.
