Brooks suspended 2 years; 3 years probation.

[lakotasong]

By CRAIG MEDRED
Published: May 18, 2007
Last Modified: May 18, 2007 at 02:34 PM


The board of directors of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race on Friday unanimously voted to suspend Ramy Brooks of Healy for two years and place him on probation for another three.

Action came after an appearance by Brooks before the board followed by about three hours of private deliberation. Brooks made no public comments afterwards, but his attorney said he contested claims he'd beaten, kicked and hit dogs with a sled pole in the village of Golovin during this year's race.


Brooks had earlier admitted to spanking his dogs with trail-marking lathe after they stopped along the trail in that village. He was subsequently disqualified from the 2007 race.

The board met Friday to consider further sanctions in the light of accusations that arose later that the musher did far more than spank the dogs.

The board received a 21-page report from Anchorage attorney Bob Stewart that detailed interviews with six Golovin residents who witnessed what happened. Reports of witness were consistent that Brooks kicked his dogs.

One of them, Maude Paniptchuk, "saw Ramy try to kick a dog or dogs in the middle of the team," according to the report.

Robert Moses, another witness quoted in the report, said that after hearing dogs crying he "turned around and saw Brooks kicking his leaders. ... Some of the dogs were lying on their side."

Another Golovin resident, David Amuktoolik Jr., also said Brooks kicked his dogs.

Brooks appeared for about an hour before the board. While he later declined to speak with reporters, his wife, Cathy, did so.

Near tears at times, she defending her husband, saying, "He's been very honest and upfront from the get go.

"He loves his family. It breaks his heart to see them hurt."

After Brooks left the board meeting, his attorney, Thomas Wang, said his client was hoping to remain in dog mushing and had no plans to sue the Iditarod. "We're not remotely thinking about a lawsuit," he said.

source adn

 

[squirtsmom]

What a creep.

 

[lakotasong]

What a creep.

Understatement of the year.

 

[blue]

You realy dont know much about Ramy Brooks, and Im sure you would like to paint all Iditarod/Yukon mushers as dog beaters.

Also you dont realy seem interested in the truth you just want to rally people to your way of thinking, otherwise you would have linked the Investigation Memo *pdf file* (there is some vulgar language in the memo).

Ramy got off light I will agree with that. Hopefully this dosent mar his outreach work with teens dealing with depresion and drug and alchohal abuse. Summit Im sure you hope otherwise.

Squirtsmom, did you read the entire article or just what Summitview editted?

 

[blue]

And Ashley, it is time for me to start sending pictures of you to local mushing kennels to investigate the abuse and neglect you have claimed to have witnessed.

 

[lakotasong]

I thank you for linking us to the PDF file, I had not seen that. I just now finished reading Ramy's version of what happened. I have not read the other reports from the witnesses yet. Having read only Ramy's story, of what he admitted to doing, I don't see how ANYONE can be anything less than TOTALLY DISGUSTED with this man and the way he treated those poor dogs.

Thank you, blue, for posting that link.

 

[Buddy'sParents]

I don't know much about racing, but I do know that any abuse of any kind is wrong to any animal-whether they be pets, sled dogs, working dogs, ornamental dogs, etc..
Sounds like the man in question could use some anger management classes. He hit the dogs and it didn't leave marks so it's not abuse? Please. Let's have someone hit him around and see how he likes it.

 

[SharkyX]

He got off to light...

Should have been more like 5 year ban 8 year probation... ah well.
None of us were there so we don't know what happened other then what Ramy himself has admitted to doing. (which I belive warrants the 5 and 8).

Although since almost his entire lively hood comes from sled dogs he'll be pretty financially devastated even by the end of the two years.
Effectively removing the mans livelyhood for two years seems harsher then the pathetic penalties handed down for similar forms of cruelty in the mainland US...

Still he got off to lightly.

 

[dogstarsleddogs]

I agree with Sharky....

 

[Buddy'sParents]

You know, Sharky, for a minute there, I felt a little sorry when one of the articles I read said the race was his livelihood. But then I thought, so many other people lose their jobs and have to move on to something else. So he'll be okay, too. Then, I stopped feeling sorry. I'm no fan of someone who feels they need to hit their dogs-for any reason.

 

[Herschel]

I wonder if he's going to go home and take this out on his dogs.

 

[SharkyX]

You know, Sharky, for a minute there, I felt a little sorry when one of the articles I read said the race was his livelihood. But then I thought, so many other people lose their jobs and have to move on to something else. So he'll be okay, too. Then, I stopped feeling sorry. I'm no fan of someone who feels they need to hit their dogs-for any reason.

I'm not suggesting to feel sorry for him... simply that I find loosing your livelihood to be a better punishment then some of the pathetic punishments handed out for other incidents of animal abuse.

His family has, for several generations made there life around sled dogs... and in Alaska the ability to rebuild yourself isn't as abundant as elsewhere.

Keeping in mind I said several times he got off to light I though I made it clear I don't feel sorry for the man either.

 

[Buddy'sParents]

I didn't mean that you should or should not feel sorry for him. I was just putting my two cents in... sorry for any confusion.