A man who said he had killed up to 100 sled dogs filled out workers’ compensation forms as both the employee and the employer, leaving Outdoor Adventures Whistler in the dark about the details of the incident, its president said Monday.
Joey Houssian, in his first sit-down interview since news of the killings sparked headlines and outrage around the world, told The Globe and Mail that his company knew nothing about the scale of the slaughter, when the dogs were killed, or the manner in which they were killed until late last month.
Mr. Houssian, the 34-year-old son of Intrawest Corp. founder Joe Houssian, said he first learned the dogs had been killed on Jan. 29, when an e-mail from a member of the media was forwarded to him. The e-mail included a WorkSafeBC ruling that said the former general manager of Outdoor Adventures’ sled-dog business had admitted to shooting or stabbing at least 70 animals last April.
The ruling went on to say that the employer chose not to participate in the workers’ compensation review, and that the employer had revised the number of dogs that had been killed to 100. Mr. Houssian said neither statement is true.
“We never signed the document,” he said. “It’s been reported that the employer accepted the employee report and, in fact, changed the number of animals involved to a different number. Of course, we didn’t do that and we didn’t sign it. He signed on behalf of both parties.”
The man in question, Robert Fawcett, has not conducted any interviews since news of the cull broke. Attempts to reach him Monday were unsuccessful. Corey Steinberg, his lawyer, did not return phone and e-mail messages.
Mr. Fawcett, who used to run Howling Dog Tours Whistler before Outdoor Adventures took over operational control, told WorkSafeBC he shot and stabbed the dogs after a decline in tourism.
Mr. Fawcett first filed a workers’ compensation claim for posttraumatic stress disorder in August, but it was rejected. He appealed for a review in January and included grisly details, describing “execution-style” killings in which he wrestled the dogs to the ground and stood on them with one foot to shoot them. His appeal was allowed.
Donna Freeman, a WorkSafeBC spokesperson, said a document about the first claim was sent to Howling Dog Tours in September, five months after Outdoor Adventures took over operational control. A document involving the second claim was sent only recently, since that decision came down Jan. 25.
“I can tell you that every accident employer receives a copy of a document called a notice to participate. We did send the document and the notice to Howling Dogs, which was the legal employer at the time. Howling Dogs and Outdoor Adventures have the same address,” she said.
Mr. Houssian, who has owned Outdoor Adventures for nearly a decade, said he had no idea the dogs would be killed in such a brutal manner. He was told 50 dogs would be culled, all of them old, sick or not adoptable. He can’t say for certain how many animals were killed, or what their health status was.
“I share the feelings that people around the world, people in my community, everybody who has read those details are feeling. I truly hope that those details are not true. I hope that that’s not what happened to the dogs,” he said, his voice seeming to break.
Mr. Houssian said he hasn’t spoken with Mr. Fawcett and doesn’t know where he is. He said it was customary for him to defer to Mr. Fawcett on all decisions concerning the dogs. “I’m the sales and marketing guy, I’m selling, I’m bringing the distribution,” he said, “and Mr. Fawcett’s bringing the specialized expertise in running the dog business.”
Mr. Houssian disputed any notion that there was pressure from the company to cut costs, or that a post-Olympic decline in business sparked the slaughter. He said no extra dogs were brought in for the Games, describing the situation as “status quo.”
He said Mr. Fawcett is the only Outdoor Adventures employee believed to have been involved in the incident.
No charges have been laid. The SPCA is continuing its investigation and is being assisted by the RCMP. Mounties are also investigating several death threats that have been made against Outdoor Adventures employees.
Mr. Houssian sidestepped a question on whether he had received any death threats, saying instead that his concern is for his employees.
Outdoor Adventures has instituted a policy that all euthanizations must be conducted by a veterinarian. Mr. Houssian wouldn’t rule out further euthanization in the future, if quality of life is a concern.
“Do I have an issue with euthanization when it’s a quality-of-life issue and a professional has made a recommendation?” he said. “I have to say that I defer to the professional in that case. I myself cannot make the decision.”
Outdoor Adventures has suspended operation of its sled-dog business outfit while the various investigations are conducted. The provincial government has appointed a task force to review the slaughter and the regulations governing the dog-sledding industry.
Mr. Houssian couldn’t say if Outdoor Adventures will ever offer dog sledding again, or if the brand has been irreparably tarnished.
“Too soon to tell,” he said. “To be honest with you, I thought we were the leaders in the industry.”
