Cristine Reyes has been bonding in Finland with her 4-year-old daughter. Image: Instagram/@cristine reyes
Cristine Reyes has been cherishing her vacation with daughter Amarah in Finland, as they make the most of activities in the snow. However, some have expressed concern that their experience of dog sledding could be exploiting huskies.
The comments came after the actress shared videos on her Instagram of their dog-sledding adventure on Wednesday, Dec. 11.
Amarah was snug in front of her mom during the ride and would politely ask the dogs to go faster. “Husky go fast please,” she said repeatedly.
While it was no doubt an unforgettable experience, some commenters mentioned that the activity could be animal cruelty.
“I cant (sic) help not to notice the dogs barking, Poor dogs, maybe the cold bother (sic) them so much,” said one @cayness2019.
“[T]otally wrong,” replied Reyes.
A certain @gizelle_07 said the dogs “love the cold,” to which the actress replied with a 100 emoji, indicating that the answer was correct.
In response to another comment, Reyes explained that she witnessed how the dogs were cared for. It appears, however, that the comment has been deleted, though it was detailed in a report by the Philippine Entertainment Portal.
After an Instagram user said that the dogs were pitiful and that riding with animals can be considered animal cruelty, Reyes said, “We had the same sentiments but while waiting we had the privilege of learning how they run the business and most especially how they care for all the dogs.”
“I have two dogs and I think I’m fully aware what animal cruelty means.”
The treatment of dogs in relation to dog sledding varies from place to place, depending on animal welfare laws or the company running the tour. Responsible tourism has also become a trend as travelers become more aware of “overtourism,” which is associated with the negative impact too many tourists can have on locals or on the environment.
Amid the ethical concerns of tourist practices, Reyes has been carefully documenting her travels with her 4-year-old, who is comfortable in front of her mom’s camera. Amarah has taken joy in playing in the snow and meeting Santa Claus. She was also able to see polar bears, as seen in the video below.
The mom and daughter have been bonding over travels lately, with Reyes posting pictures of their vacation since November. They made their way through London before entering snowy Finland. /ra
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