Meet SHELTER Dogs That Have Been SOLD to LAB RESEARCH!!

Reposted with thanks to:
Moonwarriors2






Koda's former family believed that taking him to a shelter would allow him another opportunity to find a home and did not know he would be used in a research experiment. Sadly, this happens to far too many shelter cats and dogs.




Victim of Pound Seizure:
Meet Cruella (E6993)
Every year, millions of animals in need of sanctuary enter animal shelters across the country. While many are lucky enough to find new homes, hundreds become victims of pound seizure, as they are purchased by class B dealers who then sell the animals at an enormous profit to research and education facilities, where they are used in invasive and oftentimes painful experimental procedures.

Such was the case with Cruella, a shepherd cross who was found in Carson City, Michigan, wearing a purple collar and chain, indicating that she was once someone’s companion animal. Considered a stray at the time, Cruella was housed in pen 20 at Montcalm County Animal Control until she was relinquished to R&R Research, a class B animal dealer, and became known simply as E6993. She remained at R&R for 6 months, likely spending most of her time alone, confined in a cage with limited human companionship.

Later, traveling well over 1,000 miles with 13 other dogs, E6993 was sold to the University of Florida, where veterinary students named her Cruella. While there, over a period of 7 months, she was sedated or anesetized 7 times, often for hours at a time, and used in medical training procedures, including endoscopy, abdominal surgery, and ultrasound exercises, by both veterinary students and veterinarians. Cruella also underwent surgery with the intention to spay her, but it was discovered, after her abdominal cavity was opened, that she was already spayed, further pointing to the fact that she was once someone’s pet. During her last month at the University, Cruella twice experienced a lack of appetite; however, reportedly, she would eat handfuls of canned food. Whether this was the result of kennel stress after months of isolation and exploitation or the physical toll of enduring multiple sedations and veterinary procedures is unknown, but it is certainly likely.

On July 23, 2008, 195 days after her arrival at the University of Florida and over a year after she was found in Michigan, Cruella was killed via lethal injection.

HELP STOP POUND SEIZURE! SHELTERS SELL ANIMALS 2 RESEARCH!


James Woudenberg (class B dealer) gets dogs from shelters to sell to reasearch labs.


DOWN BELOW ARE SOME OF HIS VICTIMS












SOUP was a English Setter that was surrendered to the Montcalm County Animal Shelter by her owner after being hit by a car. Her foot was injured, and the owner could not afford to have it fixed. “Little did they know, she would end up in a dog lab,” says McCloud. “One of my problems with the Montcalm
County Animal Shelter has always been they do not disclose to those dropping off animals that there is a good chance their animal will go to a lab.”
Laurel Barrick of Rolling Rescue, a transport rescue, had made arrangements to have Soup taken to the vet. From there, she was to be transported to Michigan English Setter Rescue, a Port Huron group which specializes in English Setters. This had been pre-arranged with Montcalm County employees. However, like Prince, Soup was also snatched up by the research dealer before the rescue had a chance to save the pooch.
McCloud says R&R Research owner, Jim Woudenberg, “took Soup from the shelter even though he knew the dog had a home. To me, this shows a lack of integrity.” As for the shelter staff, she says, “One has to question why they would send these dogs off for
a torturous existence when there were rescues lined up.



What Is Pound Seizure?
Pound seizure refers to the taking of cats and dogs from shelters and pounds to serve as models in biomedical research. The practice started many decades ago in small-scale projects, but exploded after World War II as funding for biomedical research zoomed upward.

When dogs and cats are acquired for research, their fates become uncertain. While some animals may die quickly, others may be earmarked for long-term studies. Once the pound or shelter releases the animal for research purposes, the animal is rarely protected by anti-cruelty laws.

Rationale Flawed
Pound seizure proponents rationalize that animals in the shelter are going to die anyway. After all, the argument goes, the animals were lost or abandoned as unwanted pets. Why not use them for research? Many humane organizations reject this argument, insisting that animals have a right to a safe and happy existence. Furthermore, the animals chosen for the laboratory are the ones most likely to be adopted - young, one to three years of age, healthy, friendly, and of medium size. Those who are rejected by researchers are the animals least likely to find adoptive homes.

Interestingly, the National Institutes of Health, the largest funded of biomedical research in this country, stopped using shelter animals in its own in-house research several years ago because they consider such animals unsuitable research subjects. Shelter animals are not fully known by the researcher as are purpose-bred animals. Nothing is known about the shelter animals' origins, health conditions, or age, and typically the animals lack conditioning for research. Further, it is more expensive to buy, treat, and condition shelter animals than it is to purchase animals purposely bred for research.

A Safe Haven For Animals?
By allowing pound seizure, we're placing a cheap price on animal life - allowing shelters to serve as discount warehouse suppliers for biomedical research laboratories. Shelters are intended to be protective havens for animals, not commodities brokers for laboratory resources.
Pound seizure is unfair to both companion animals and communities. It violates a public trust that shelters and pounds will provide shelter for animals and either a future with a new owner or a humane death. Citizens might be reluctant to bring in a stray to a shelter knowing that the animal might wind up in a medical experiment, often involving pain and suffering.

Current Law
Fourteen states currently prohibit the release of impounded animals to research facilities: Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Vermont, and West Virginia. Of these, Massachusetts is the only state which specifically prohibits the sale of pound animals brought in from other states as well. This ban has not collapsed biomedical research in that state nor has it run up costs. instead, the state continues as a leader in biomedical labs. Massachusetts law is a model for other states to adopt in their jurisdictions.

Release of impounded animals for research purposes is required in the District of Columbia, Iowa, Minnesota, Oklahoma (by pounds only; shelters may release animals for research), South Dakota, and Utah.

Release of impounded animals for research is allowed in Arizona, California, Michigan, North Carolina, Ohio, Tennessee, Washington, and Wisconsin. All other states permit pounds or shelters to decide for themselves whether or not to provide animals for such purposes.

To the best of our knowledge South Florida Shelters and other Florida Shelters do not participate in Pound Seizures. Please contact your local shelters to ask if they participate in this practice and ask them to stop.

Please contact your elected officials to ask them to stop giving government funding for lab testing on companion animals for medical research.

Suggested Contacts
Please feel free to send this letter to different media contacts. You can send to TV stations, as well as newspapers. If you are sending a letter to the editor about "pound seizure," you must write an
original letter. The goal is to make sure the public is aware of "pound seizure."
Contact info for your local media: http://capwiz.com/congressorg/dbq/media/

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SAMPLE LETTER:

"Pound Seizure"

To Whom It May Concern:

Some pounds, shelters and humane societies in the United States sell "surplus" dogs and cats to Class B dealers and/or research facilities. This practice is commonly called "pound seizure." Most people are not aware that this happens. We request that you cover this very important issue and help to educate the public.

Shelter animals are traumatized by losing their human companions and/or by ending up in a strange environment. They should not have to endure even more trauma by being turned into research tools. Shelters were not intended to be warehouses for research labs. With "pound seizure," no one can be certain their own beloved pet will never fall into the hands of researchers. A lost or stolen pet may not be located or rescued in time to prevent tragedy.

For more information on this topic, please visit:
http://www.americanhumane.org/protecting-animals/resources/pound-seizure.html

https://www.msu.edu/~silvar/about.htm

http://www.tlcchowrescue.com/poundweb1.htm

The public needs to know what is happening to these homeless, domesticated animals. Please help bring awareness to the animals' plight. We look forward to seeing your coverage of this issue.

Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,

"If you can't save all the shelter pets, then save just one."




Class B Dog Dealers In Your State /Buyers Or Potential Who Sells Dogs to Research--


Beware of these 15 remaining Random Source Class B dealers who are selling dogs and/or cats to laboratories for experimentation:
Minnesota:
41-B-0017 Kenneth Schroeder (Wells)
Arizona:
86-B-0050 Ranaco Corporation, DBA: Delta Biologicals (Tucson) (deals in dead cats--from outside the US)
Illinois:
33-B-0007 Michael Cooper, DBA: Triple C Farms (St. Joseph)
Indiana:
32-B-0045 Mark and Penny Lynch, DBA: LBL Kennels (Reelsville)
Kentucky:
61-B-0124 Perry and Crystal Foster, DBA: Mountain Top Kennels (Wallingford)
Michigan:
34-B-0001 Roberta and James Woudenberg, DBA: R&R Research (Howard City)
34-B-0002 Fred Hodgins, DBA: Hodgins Kennels (Howell)
Minnesota:
41-B-0017 Kenneth Schroeder (Wells)
Missouri:
43-B-0032 Danny & Mildred Schachtele, DBA: Middlefork Kennels (Salisbury)
North Carolina:
55-B-0010 Carolina Biological Supply Company (Burlington) (deals in dead cats)
55-B-0081 John H. And Eva Wise, DBA: Hillside Kennel (Four Oaks) (deals in dead cats)
55-B-0107 LBS Biological Inc. (Graham) (deals in dead cats)
55-B-0076 S. E. Lab Animal Farm Inc. (Raleigh) (deals in dead dogs and cats)
Ohio:
31-B-0104 Robert Perry (Mt. Sterling)
Oklahoma:
73-B-0130 Henry Lee Cooper, DBA: C & C Kennels (Wewoka)
Pennsylvania:

23-B-0004 Bruce Rotz (Shippensburg) __________________________________________More Facts Plus ASample Letter Below:

Some pounds, shelters and humane societies may sell "surplus" dogs and cats to Class B dealers and/or research facilities - a practice commonly called "pound seizure." To date, only 13 states have outlawed pound seizure. They are: Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont and West Virginia. In those states where pound seizure has not been banned, it is up to each city or county (depending on whether a facility is city or county run) to decide whether or not to allow or mandate Pound Seizure.

Whether or not a state-wide ban on Pound Seizure exists, some pounds or shelters practice pound seizure illegally--some even acquiring pets illegally. There are known cases of family dogs and cats being picked up as "strays," being "laundered" through the pound, shelter or humane society system (by withholding them from view or taking them to an out-of-town facility to fulfill the required five-day holding period), and later sold to a dealer or research facility. Having a pound, shelter or humane society that practices pound seizure in your area means that every pet is worth money, and increases the chances of pet theft occurring in your community.

For a sample letter that you can send to your elected officials regarding pound seizure.

Dear Elected Official,

I am writing concerning your proposed ordinance which would regulate Animal Control within the city/state/county. We understand that you are planning to allow "Pound Seizure," the sale of pound animals that have not been claimed or who have been relinquished by their families to the highest bidder. Please allow me to explain why I am in opposition to this practice.

According to In Defense of Animals, who has investigated the thefts of thousands of dogs and cats since 1995, they have found that when a local animal shelter decides to sell pound animals, a much higher rate of pet theft occurs in those areas. This occurs in part because there exists a profit motive to sell animals. High demand animal research has created a market for dogs and cats and has insured animal dealers hefty incomes.

While many animal shelter workers are ethical and hard working, the temptation to sell homeless animals by the back door for quick cash is an all too familiar reality across our country.

No one can be certain their own beloved pet will never fall into the hands of researchers as long as pets from pounds are allowed to be research subjects. A lost or stolen pet may not be located or rescued in time to prevent tragedy. Pound seizure can also result in a loss of revenue for many reasons. Where there is public awareness that impounded animals will be sold for research, public trust in the Shelter is tarnished. People abandon animals, which creates more work for animal control personnel, adds to the formation of dog packs and the destruction of livestock, and creates health and safety problems. Pound seizure actually increases the cost of tax-supported animal control.
Please reconsider and not allow animals to be sold from the XX Shelter (or in XX County or city).

Sincerely,

____________________________________________

In Defense of Animals
3010 Kerner Blvd., San Rafael, CA 94901. Tel.: 415-388-9641
www.idausa.org email: ida@idausa.org