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One way Hetta Huskies stands head and shoulders above most kennels is the level of care given to the dogs. We added this section because some clients assume all Scandinavian kennels care for their dogs to a similar level - sadly, that is not the case. Most kennels are clever enough to say they care for their dogs in their marketing, but dressing up the facts does not make them true.
- GOLD, 2015 World Responsible Tourism Awards - Best Animal Welfare Initiative
- 'No-cull' policy - one of only five or six farms known to follow it
- Weekly dog checks and weight monitoring; detailed medical records per dog
- Sled dogs burn 1000-7000 calories per day
Why it matters
If this matters to you and you are choosing between companies, you will need to dig a little deeper to find the reality of how the animals are cared for. And even if it is not a deal breaker, it is worth knowing that companies with a real ethical commitment to their dogs tend to be the same ones with good reputations for looking after their human clients! In 2015 our work to raise standards in the sleddog industry earned us a GOLD in the World Responsible Tourism Awards for the Best Animal Welfare Initiative.
How will I know if the farm looks after the dogs well?
Check the images and information in their marketing materials, and see how open they are about their standards when questioned - or whether they are evasive. Reputable kennels can offer detailed, transparent information about the care of their dogs. Most good farms post plenty of images of their farm and kennels, not just the standard pictures of people and children cuddling dogs, because they are proud of how well maintained and clean it is. If a farm is unwilling to be fully transparent about animal care, there is likely a problem.
Ask some more questions
Ask how many people look after the dogs in both summer and winter, and how experienced they are, since this reveals how well the manager, guides and farmhands actually know the dogs. A core group who intimately know, love and provide continuity of care for the dogs is critical to their welfare and safety. Most farms with c. 100 dogs have only a couple of people caring for them in summer, and some with up to 600 dogs still have only three or four. We have guides who return year after year, forming the backbone of our team alongside trainees who stay with us for a minimum of three months.
Industry standards
Although most Scandinavian kennels get annual vet visits, the standards they can measure against are so minimal that the visit is almost a token gesture, and the only internationally recognised standard - Mush with Pride - asks fairly little. The one region to do serious work here is British Columbia, Canada, which around 2012 introduced both a Sled Dog Code of Practice and a Sled Dog Standards of Care Regulation under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act. Nothing like this exists in Scandinavia, so kennels can get away with doing 'not very much' for their dogs.
End of life plan
On most farms, dogs are put down as soon as their useful life is over. Hetta Huskies - along with about five or six other farms we know of - has a no-cull policy. (Farms can legally shoot their own dogs so long as the person with the gun is capable of doing so.) We keep the puppies we breed rather than treating them as a revenue generator, because they are a valuable part of our family. Our old dogs have large running fences to wander in together, and when they near the end of their time they are brought into the house for some comfy months on the sofa and beds. Our sleddogs are pretty lucky to be on our farm.
Health monitoring and feeding
Few farms do regular checks like we do; most are simply reactive. Area vets call us the 'lump and bump farm', amused by the size of the lumps we find in our weekly dog checks. We keep detailed records of everything from medicine use to full medical histories, vaccination and deworming schedules. Each dog's weight is checked weekly and portions adjusted for the kilometres run and the ambient temperature. Sled dogs burn anywhere from 1000 to 7000 calories a day, sometimes more, so each has a feeding plan specific to its needs. Touring sled dogs must be very well trained, muscularly fit and of sufficient weight to keep them and you safe on the trails - fit, not skinny.
Baselining Finnish StandardsWhy Finland should lead the way in Europe with respect to tougher sleddog welfare guidelines, given the value of the husky industry to the northern economy.
BC's Minimum Standard RegulationsBritish Columbia's mandatory Sled Dog Standard of Care Regulation - the legally enforceable minimum standards for containment, housing and care that supplement the voluntary code.
BC's Voluntary Codes of Best PracticeBritish Columbia's Sled Dog Code of Practice - the voluntary, higher-standard first tier of a two-tier welfare system, reproduced here as a springboard for other regions.
Finland's Current RegulationsFinland has some of the toughest animal welfare legislation in the world, but it is not necessarily well suited to the realities of caring for sleddogs.
Future European Standards?A work-in-progress proposal for a two-tier welfare system for Scandinavian sleddog farms, drawn from BC legislation, Mush with Pride and knowledge of the industry.
Lappish Sleddog Entrepreneur's AssociationIn 2012, leading Lappish mushing businesses founded an association to give sled dog entrepreneurs a common voice on welfare, quality and sustainability.
Leading ChangeHetta Huskies' role in a Finnish research project bringing tourism companies together to challenge practices and improve transparency in sleddog welfare.
Mush with PrideHetta Huskies benchmarked its kennel against the international Mush with PRIDE standard and earned its highest rating, Certification Plus.
PRIDE's Voluntary Codes of PracticeThe full Mush with P.R.I.D.E. voluntary sled-dog care guidelines reproduced in detail, covering dog-yard housing, feeding and watering, training and conditioning and more.
The Need for StandardsWhy the sled dog industry needs new certifiable codes of practice and enforceable minimum standards to safeguard both dogs and the sport's future.
Why BC Leads the WayHow the British Columbia sled dog cullings of 2010 forced the industry to develop a two-tier system of welfare protection that the rest of the world can learn from.