Dogsledding is not inhumane.
The actual activity of dogsledding is not inhumane at face value.
As with most things involving animals and humans, when left with no legislation, regulations, standards, licensing, proactive inspections, abuse and exploitation will and does happen.
Dogsledding, wild animal safari’s, roadside zoos, circus’s ….the lack of regulations, licensing and inspections just heighten the risk of abuse, neglect and inhumane existences of these animals.
In saying that, Ontario Provincial Animal Welfare Services often lack any expertise in the varied situations they find themselves being the authoritative overseer.
Far reaching oversight is there not to control the good but to protect against the bad.
It is the animals that are forced to pay the price once again for governments refusal to protect them.
Dogsledding is packaged and sold to the public as a sport that the dogs relish in doing, they were born to do. That the mushers deeply love and care for their dogs. There are no doubt many mushers and commercial sledding businesses who provide wonderful care for their dogs. But again, where there is no mandatory licensing or inspections, the door is wide open to mistreatment.
In partial response, the Ontario government introduced in 2022 Standards of Care specifically for outdoor dogs:
https://www.ontario.ca/page/standards-care-dogs-kept-outdoors
It is a start but does not go nearly enough to regulate a commercial industry whose source of revenue is living breathing beings.
The government responded to the bright spotlight shone on its nonexistent protections. Animal advocates continue fighting for the Standards of Care for domestic animals to receive the same overhaul. Currently these standards are incredibly vague, weak making measuring compliance and therefore justice virtually impossible.