ISPCA Fundraising is a very bizzare choice for a group that say they help animals.!

national | animal rights | press release

Sunday January 25, 2009 15:38

by Bernie Wright - Alliance for Animal Rights

PO Box 4734, dublin.1

085 7371810/087 2651720

ISPCA promotion of dog sleigh rides to raise funds is slammed.

ISPCA Fundraising is a very bizzare choice for a group that say they help animals.!

The Alliance for Animal Rights is horrified to learn that the ISPCA are promoting and using DOG SLED TREKING IN NORWAY as a fundraiser in 2010. They describe the event as follows on their website without a word of concern for the Huskie dogs involved. The fact that these dogs who will have to work 8 hours daily in brutal icy conditions and travel 60 Kilometers is apparently of no concern to this animal charity.
How could they even consider taking part in this, it is unbelieveable. Their website describes how gruelling it will be for the human participants but not for the ill-fated dogs. This fundraising idea is promoting the very thing they are raising the money to alleviate -animal suffering.

Dogs as beasts of burden.

Their website describes it as follows:
“This is a tough Challenge and you will need to be prepared for it physically. You will be taking part in hard physical activity. However, with thorough training and preparation you will find this Challenge enormously inspirational and incredibly rewarding. A brief training guide will be provided with your welcome pack. Participants must train, and be fit enough to continue activity for up to eight hours a day” ISPCA WEBSITE.
THE ISPCA have “In order to touch and help as many lives as possible, the ISPCA needs you to raise a minimum of €5,900 less your personal donation/deposit of €500 balance €5,400.”
http://www.ispca.ie/norway/faq.html

* More criticism on another website ANIMALPERSON.NET slates the event as follows…‘This event, for the Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, centers on cruelty to animals. They'd go a long way to fulfilling their mission simply by not having this event!
What I don't want to hear about is how much huskies, or greyhounds, for that matter, love to run. Dogs love to run, that's true. But loving to run when you want to run, as far as you want to run, is a far cry from some man or woman tying you to other dogs and making you race in brutal conditions for up to 60km a day (here's the itinerary) in a place with 6-8 hours of daylight and an average temperature of -15C.
If you want to help huskies, and I assume the Irish SPCA does, adopt one from a shelter, give him a loving home and plenty of stimulation and opportunities to exercise. Using a dog for your own gain--or to raise money for other dogs--is bizarre conceptually. No matter where the race is held, or how long it is, there's simply no reason to use dogs for our own gain. ‘ Mary Martin phd Full Story see http://www.animalperson.net/animal_person/2009/01/irish....html

They ironically say that “IN ORDER TO TOUCH AND HELP AS MANY LIVES AS POSSIBLE”. Is this a joke? What about the dogs trussed to the sleighs dragging people around for 8 hours a day? Are they going to find it incredibly rewarding ?
‘We are urging the public to contact the ISPCA asking them to use more ethical and suitable methods for their fundraising. We are calling for a cancellation immediately of all plans for this cruel promotion. This is surely a huge blow to the groups credibility. It is a huge mistake to support animal use and abuse for any reason…Bernie Wright,