An Ontario court has dismissed a defamation lawsuit against CTV News over a documentary on alleged animal mistreatment in the dog sledding industry, ruling the story addressed an issue of public interest and did not unfairly damage the plaintiff’s reputation.Blacklock's Reporter says the Ontario Court of Appeal upheld a lower court ruling that Windrift Adventures Inc. of Moonstone, Ont. had no grounds for libel after being featured in the 2022 W5 broadcast Dogs In Distress. “The episode reported on the public debate, controversy and calls for reform surrounding the dog sledding industry in Canada and conditions endured by sled dogs,” wrote Justice Eileen Gillese..Windrift was one of several operations profiled in the exposé.Judges found the coverage was fair and newsworthy, especially since the company had faced charges under the Provincial Offences Act and had 226 dogs removed by Ontario’s Animal Welfare Services in 2021, including puppies as young as eight weeks old.Inspectors found animals tethered for long periods and shelters that failed to meet regulatory standards..CTV journalist Molly Thomas and a cameraman had visited a co-owner’s home for comment. Though the family was surprised by the visit, the co-owner later agreed to an interview but ended it after beginning to experience a panic attack.The court noted CTV continued filming during the incident but found no fault in doing so.The Superior Court previously ruled that since Windrift was already involved in legal proceedings and had a publicly known record of welfare concerns, their reputation was not further harmed by being included in the report..The fact W5 did not mention the company by name also weighed against the libel claim.“The main issues before me were the length of the dog’s tethers, the care of the dogs and the several issues regarding the dogs’ shelters,” wrote Animal Care Review Board member Marisa Victor in a 2021 decision, noting the dogs were found generally healthy but living in conditions that violated care standards.
