Still, the Newfoundland pony may be reaching its last generation. It seems the animal that helped settle the island has gone from necessity to nuisance, as new roads are made and tougher vehicles imported to traverse the countryside. The owners of many of the ponies do not want to pay for their food and shelter anymore. It seems a cruel reward. They are often sold for a few hundred dollars to horse dealers from elsewhere in Canada, and disappear.
Most people suspect they are sold for slaughter.
The provincial government recently approved a Heritage Animal Act that will allow regulators to monitor the fate of animals such as the pony, give breeders and owners some recognition and, if necessary, set export and sale restrictions to combat their disappearance. The Newfoundland Pony Society and the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador are trying to have it established as an official breed and save those remaining animals for what should be a positive future. The labrador husky is also struggling in modern times. The dog was breed specifically for heavy, long-haul sledding in neighboring Labrador. Snowmobiles have eliminated its usefulness, too, and it is not uncommon for packs of the dogs to be destroyed by the same communities that once relied upon them.