I could not believe my eyes when, on the January 19, 2008 episode "Labrador" Les Stroud intentionally let his sled dog team loose, still in full tack, with sled in tow. Those dogs are totally dependent on the musher for their safety. Unless there was a support team off camera who picked up the dogs immediately, those highly trained and trusting animals were left to their own devices to live or die on the snow.
Did I miss something, or does anyone else think that this stunt was inhumane and outrageous?

This was discussed at length(too much) at the begining of the last season. A member posted the outcome of the dogs, btw the find button helps researching for information.

http://community.discovery.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/83019...501958919#2501958919

"Did I miss something, or does anyone else think that this stunt was inhumane and outrageous?"

You missed something. Think about it, do you REALLY think that someone on a national television show would just let SOMEONE ELSE'S DOGS go without having made arrangements for them? Especially on such an animal dependent network as Discover Channel.

And he DOES say something like: the dogs will be fine, they'll stick to the trail. I promise you, their owner was probably 2 or 3 bends down that trail.

And, this was hashed out, ad nauseum, at the time.

Sorry to stir up old dust. I did a quick 'find' before posting, apparently not thorough enough. I should hope that Discovery Channel would not intentionally endanger animals, especially someone else's dogs.
Thanks for the info and background.

Actually, I was quite surprised at the outcry. Being an experienced dog person...with performance dogs of my own, though not sled dogs...I wasn't even surprised at that scenario. Knowing the channel, and being familiar with how working dogs act, I simply knew that they had the owner nearby to stop the dogs and take care of them. It never even crossed my mind that anything else could have happened!

Good point, Doggonega. I'm also an experienced dog person, and projected how I would feel if I saw my working dogs disappear into the snow fog, out of control. I need to keep in mind that the show is a setup, with no true isolation and abandonment of the players. Eating reindeer moss and making a wood stove from a discarded kerosene can had me thinking for a moment that Les and his dog team were really out there some distance from any support. I should have realized that if any of those dogs had been injured from this stunt, there would be some delay in filming the next episode while Les recovered from his encounter with the owner!
This is the second episode of "Survivorman" I have seen. Very interesting and entertaining show, great tips for survival. I assure you that I am a wiser viewer now.
Thanks again.

Yes, it's setup. Les makes it as real as he can...and given the limitations, I think he does a very good job. But he's not out there to die for his show!

I find it a good show also. As I said in an earlier message, in another thread, I feel like Les shows me what can be done in a survival situation, and I feel like I could do what he does. Maybe not as well, or as easily, but I feel like I COULD do it.

Since I joined the SM forum just recently, I missed all the controversy about Les letting the dogs go. I too was under the impression that the act of letting the dogs loose was spontaneous by Les, and not arranged in advance. I concluded that the dogs would travel several miles and meet up with the safety crew, and not even guessed that the owner was waiting for them a few turns ahead. Of course, not too many dog sledders get the chance to throw their gear out onto the trail before losing their dogs.

When this episode first aired, there were many posts that bashed Les beyond belief. One in particular claimed to be the president of people for paws and demanded from forum members proof that the dogs were fine or legal action would be taken-seriously!

So when OK-3WIRE makes a thread stating words like totally irresponsible act by Les, trusting dogs left to die, inhumane and outragous- I was thinking holy sh here we go again.

CamperCraig, you should be glad you joined now and missed the controversy, past members will tell you they have post-traumatic stress from that whole ordeal.

darkhouse, I found the original sled dog thread,and I did a quick overview. It's rather tame compared to other forums I've visited, but still fairly dramatic compared to what I've experienced on this forum.

"Of course, not too many dog sledders get the chance to throw their gear out onto the trail before losing their dogs"

My sister said the same thing...but give the guy a break. He's out there alone. Most of what he threw off was his CAMERA GEAR! No gear, no show.

He did include his survival kit...but as he said at the beginning of the show, he's been asked to do a show with a survival kit...so OF COURSE he threw that off too!

quote:

Originally posted by doggonega:

My sister said the same thing...but give the guy a break. He's out there alone. Most of what he threw off was his CAMERA GEAR! No gear, no show.

He did include his survival kit...but as he said at the beginning of the show, he's been asked to do a show with a survival kit...so OF COURSE he threw that off too!

Yes, I will give Les a break, aince I feel that he does his very best to make his shows as realistic as possible.

Guys they would just follow the trail back to the camp it was all safe, they probably had trackers on the dogs so yeah...

I read that the owner of the dogs new when Les was going to let the dogs go. so he can go get them.

It was all planned in the begining . This has been shown that the dogs are fine . Their owner met them at a predesignated place.

the whole reason for letting the dogs go in the first place is that he said in the show that most people fall off their sled and their dogs don't stop they keep going without the musher. he said that is the most likely reason people are stranded out there. he was being realistic and the articel i just read said they were trained to go home and they got home safe. Les wouldn't have done it if he knew it would hurt the dogs. i know he wouldn't cas every show he eats an animal ha says' "ihate to kill animals but when surviving everything is fair game."

Completely correct MR.Nut.

i'm a chick.

Don't be upset Peanut7 It's hard to tell someones gender from their screen names some times....

I hate dogs! He was just trying to show what actually happends. Thats what happends in real life, and those dogs were slowing him down anyways.

quote:

those dogs were slowing him down anyways

Slowing him down? That's a good one. Sure, they take time to take care of and to hitch and unhitch, but to offset that you can travel a LOT further with them every day...especially in deep snow.

Watch the show again and see how he was struggling to get through the snow when he was hunting and compare that to how easily he traveled over the same kind of terrain with the dogs and the sled.