Darrell Greer
Northern News Services

RANKIN INLET (Jun 16/99) - As far as Rankin Inlet dog mushers Warren Palfrey and Dyan Gray are concerned, education and consistency are key ingredients towards a harmonious balance between man, animal and community.

After reading a recent editorial in the Kivalliq News, Palfrey contacted the newspaper to say, in his opinion, the dog problem in Rankin stems mostly from careless pet owners, not dog mushers.

"I'd say 98 per cent of the loose dogs in Rankin have to be considered as pets or house dogs," says Palfrey. "Mushers are very conscientious about their dogs and keeping them restrained.

"I don't want a lot of dog bashing going on in the community. I have a dog team and a vested interest in seeing the sport grow and mature in this region."

Palfrey says local media efforts have done some good in informing people about dog care and reminding them to watch their animals. He says any dog problem can be corrected by proper bylaw enforcement, owner awareness and proper education.

"I don't agree with people pushing to keep the dogs out of town. Sled dogs are used to being handled in the winter, but, in the summertime, they have absolutely no socialization except for their owner. They see someone coming and think it's suppertime.

"If we're forced to keep our dogs outside of town and kids were to get out there, we could have some big problems. I'd like to see safe dog instruction being taught in school. A strange dog should never be approached by a child, but, at the same time, they should know not all dogs are vicious."

Gray agrees proper education goes a long way towards dog safety and has already taken that approach to the local elementary school with positive results.

"I went to Liz Courtney's Grade 2 class and did a seminar on dog safety," says Gray. "The kids put a harness on him and had all sorts of questions ready for me. They wrote me all kinds of letters after the seminar."

Gray agrees the majority of loose dogs in Rankin are pets, adding local methods and facilities for dealing with the problem are sadly lacking.

"If the SPCA ever saw the dog pound up here they would have a fit. It's not fit for housing dogs, even for a night. I also have a problem shooting dogs on sight. Efforts should be made to catch the dog and notify the owner.

"The hamlet should look at some sort of incremental fine system for strays where repeat offenders pay more. All dog owners should do their best to keep control of their dogs."

Palfrey says the main problem with strays stems from local owners who have two or three dogs tied outside and don't properly feed or look after them. He says an attempt should be made to capture strays, but, if they can't be caught, they should be shot.

"A good bylaw officer should be able to catch stray dogs," says Palfrey. "It's not nice to say dogs have to be put down, but what are you going to do? You have to solve the problem. If dogs were put down on a regular basis and increasing fines were handed out, you'd see a lot less stray dogs."