Sled dog neglect
Doyle, CA (US)Incident Date: Wednesday, May 31, 2006
County: Lassen
Disposition: Alleged
Case Images: 1 files available
Alleged: Jason Nickle
Musher Jason Nickle is free to race, but the trail ended inside cages for his sled dogs in June 2006.
From Washoe to Lassen counties, dog trouble seems to follow Nickle -- his dogs were confiscated and he was charged with animal cruelty.
Three years ago, complaints of animal neglect by his neighbors in Antelope Valley led Nickle to leave Washoe County and head for Canada, according to fellow musher Kathy Miyoshi.
After wearing out his welcome of a Canadian musher, Nickle later set up his dog kennel on an isolated piece of desert outside Doyle, Calif.
In June 2006, while returning from a late-night vehicle fire, Doyle Fire Chief James Day and his volunteer fire crew discovered Nickle's kennel. There appeared to be no food within reach or water available for the 40 dogs chained to stakes with plastic barrels for shelter.
The following day, Lassen County Sheriff's Deputy John Bohl responded to the scene. Bohl, who is also a paramedic, said he was shocked to see the emaciated and dehyrated dogs. Some had tried to escape the 120-degree heat by digging themselves into the ground. There were puppies, and a few dead dogs were found in the desert nearby.
Firefighters arrived and sprayed 2,000 gallons of water to hydrate and cool down the animals. The dogs then came back to life, said Chief Day.
Ira Boyle arrived claiming to be the kennel caretaker and was arrested. Boyle said it had been about 32 hours since he had last checked the dogs.
Boyle and Nickle are scheduled to appear next month in Lassen County court on animal cruelty charges.
The dogs and puppies were confiscated and placed in the Lassen County Animal Shelter in Susanville.
"I can't imagine leaving my dogs alone out in the desert," said local dog musher Miyoshi. "It would hurt their spirit."
In contrast to Nickle, Miyoshi lives with her team of 10 Siberian Huskies and foster dogs in Sun Valley. The dogs are not tethered but run together in outdoor kennels. There have been no complaints from the neighbors according to Miyoshi, and she says neighborhood children her, call her "Aunt" Kathy and some children know each of her dogs by name.
Although Nickle was her mentor and introduced Miyoshi to sled dog racing, she said "something went wrong" and Nickle went "downhill." Nickle has been banned from races sanctioned by the local Sierra Nevada Dog Drivers Association said Miyoshi. He could still race elsewhere.
"Racing is the best part, but it's only 10 percent of the sport. The other 90 percent is scooping poop, repairing kennels, trips to the vet and training," said Miyoshi. She believes Nickle became "lazy" and exceeded the number of dogs he could afford to properly care for.
Photo Courtesy of Lassen County Sheriff's Deputy John Bohl
Skinny and dehydrated, dogs may have survived the summer heat by digging holes in the ground at Jason Nickle's sled dog kennel near Doyle, California.
Miyoshi and the Wylie Animal Rescue Foundation (WARF) of Incline Village have so far fostered and found local homes for a few of Nickle's "Eurohounds," a cross between the Alaskan husky and pointer breeds yielding a faster sled dog. About 20 of Nickle's dogs are at work hauling tourists for musher Chris Miller at Kirkwood Ski Resort. Miller owns Running Creek Sled Dogs.
Patches, a two-year-old female, was adopted through WARF and Miyoshi in October by Heidi and Mark Julius of Reno. Still learning to trust people, Patches is at her best when pulling the family sled.
"When we first got her, we couldn't touch or go near her," said Heidi Julius. "But we couldn't let her go back to such a cruel environment, left without food or water for days in the desert."
Three other of Nickle's dogs have been surrendered for adoption, according to Lassen County animal shelter supervisor Judy Walesch. The shelter doesn't have the money to care for so many dogs, and donations are needed, she said. Rawhide chew bones are especially welcome.
Walesch thanked Miyoshi for convincing the PetsMart in Stead to contribute thousands of pounds of dog food.
Depending on the outcome of the case in April, the remainder of Nickle's dogs could be released to his father, Stan Nickle, who claims the dogs were given to him last year.
"I don't want these dogs returned to anyone in that family," said Deputy Bohl, a Doyle resident and a dog owner himself. "We'll go after Stan Nickle if we have to." References« Back to Search Results
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