17 sled dogs rescued from hot truck, 1 dies
Boulder, CO (US)Incident Date: Tuesday, Mar 15, 1994
County: Boulder
Disposition: Alleged
Alleged: Fred Weaver
Fred Weaver, 50, of Boulder was charged with 17 counts of animal cruelty and 17 counts of improper treatment of animals when he left a team of sled dogs in a hot truck (temperatures exceeded 107 degrees in the truck). One of the dogs died in the excessive heat.
The dogs were in a truck left on Mohawk Drive for up to four hours on Tuesday.
Weaver could face up to 90 days in jail and a $1,000 fine for each of the 17 dogs left in the truck. There could be additional charges for animal mistreatment from Larimer County where the dogs were kept chained without water and adequate food on an isolated mountain property.
Weaver has a business providing sled dog rides and he denies any wrongdoing. He said, "People are making all kinds of false assumptions. They just don't understand working dogs."
The sixteen dogs that survived the ordeal were taken to the Boulder County Humane Society where they will be kept until a judge decides whether Weaver can take his dogs back.
One dog is being treated for an abscessed gunshot wound, another open sores on the forelegs and another for a severe muscle strain. Most of the dogs had their vocal cords removed.
Aside from these problems the dogs are said to be generally healthy.
Ralph Coots, Larimer County animal control officer said, "This is the worst case I have seen so far. Coots visited the "dog lot" above Red Feather Lakes and videotaped the conditions. The videotape showed the dogs chained to stakes in the ground, surrounded by feces, eating snow. Many of the dogs couldn't reach their dog houses. The temperature where they were being kept dropped to minus 30 last week.
Weaver's neighbors at the Mohawk Green Apartments called police after hearing a few of the dogs whining.
Dog sledding racers must be diligent in providing food, water, exercise and adequate veterinary care to their dogs. "If you cannot do that, you should not be in the sport. We preach that creed."
References- Daily Camera - Mar 18, 1994
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