Investigation underway after Facebook post purportedly shows sled dogs being slapped

Editor’s note: There are disturbing details in this story and a link to the full video in question. Discretion is advised.  

MONTREAL (CityNews) – Many people expressed outrage over a video that surfaced of a dogsled facility employee near Quebec City allegedly hitting and slapping dogs.

A woman who was at Expedition Mi-Loup in Saint-Jean-de-l’île-d’Orléans, which is about 20 minutes away from Quebec City, posted a disturbing video to Facebook on Feb. 26.

She said she was there for a dog sled ride but wrote on Facebook that she witnessed the alleged abuse and neglect of the dogs.

Some of the animals were allegedly kicked in the belly and face by workers and had limited food and water.

The post received over 100 comments of backlash.

One of them read (translated from French): “I have a Labrador bulldog and I can discipline without hitting it. These are excuses for animal maltreatment.”

A spokesperson at the Humane Society International Canada told CityNews that they oppose the neglect and cruelty of animals, something they said they often see in the sled dog industry.

Emilie-Lune Sauve with HSI Canada said she couldn’t comment on this specific case without all the information, but added that they’ve seized dogs before in similar situations.

“In one situation, the dogs were tied. No shelter. They were so cold. They crawled into our laps looking for warmth.”

Expedition Mi-Loup said it has been respectful of animal welfare rights since 2003.

Antoine Simard, the owner of Expedition Mi-Loup issued a statement:

“Taking the images that were captured very seriously, Expedition Mi-Loup launched an investigation to shed light on the intervention of an employee trying to intervene in a fight between huskies,” the owner of the company, Antoine Simard, said in a statement. “In addition, the company also took the initiative to contact the SPA de Québec and MAPAQ, with which it is used to collaborating in an exemplary fashion. For the time being, the company has chosen to suspend operations because it has been subjected to violent threats and fears for the safety of its employees and customers.”

Meanwhile, HSI Canada said there need to be more stringent regulations in the industry.