Exposing the Supply and Use of Dogs and Cats in Higher Education
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Exposing the supply and use of dogs and cats in higher education www.dyingtolearn.org Exposing the supply and use of dogs and cats in higher education PREFACE ............................................................................................................................................................ SECTION I: Introduction................................................................................................................................... 1 A. Background ............................................................................................................................................. 1 B. Collection of Information ........................................................................................................................2 C. Findings and Recommendations ............................................................................................................2 1. Schools are engaging in harmful use of dogs and cats for teaching purposes. ................................2 2. Schools are acquiring dogs and cats from inhumane sources. ..........................................................3 SECTION II: Animal Use for Educational Purposes and the Adoption of Alternatives .................................. 4 A. Current Use of Dogs and Cats in Higher Education .............................................................................. 4 B. History of Vivisection and Dissection .....................................................................................................5 C. Students Advocating for Student Choice Policies and Alternatives ..................................................... 6 1. Primary and Secondary Education .....................................................................................................7 2. Colleges and Universities .................................................................................................................. 8 3. Veterinary Education ......................................................................................................................... 9 4. Medical Education .............................................................................................................................11 SECTION III: Sources of Dogs and Cats Used in Higher Education ............................................................... 13 A. Pound Seizure ....................................................................................................................................... 13 1. Universities Acquiring Animals from Pounds and Shelters .............................................................. 13 2. Problems with Pound Seizure ..........................................................................................................14 3. History of Pound Seizure .................................................................................................................. 15 4. Current Status of Pound Seizure Laws ............................................................................................16 B. Animal Dealers ...................................................................................................................................... 17 1. Class B Dealers – Random Source .................................................................................................... 18 2. Class B Dealers – Biological Supply Companies ..............................................................................25 3. Class A Dealers ................................................................................................................................ 30 SECTION IV: Eliminating the Harmful Use of Animals in Education ............................................................ 34 A. Alternatives .......................................................................................................................................... 34 1. The Animal Welfare Information Center ..........................................................................................35 2. Animalearn’s The Science Bank .......................................................................................................35 B. Student Choice Policies ........................................................................................................................35 C. No Random Source Animals Policies ....................................................................................................37 CONCLUSION ................................................................................................................................................ 38 APPENDICES ..................................................................................................................................................A1 A. Figures and Tables ................................................................................................................................A1 1. Figure 1 - Map of States From Which Animal Use Records Were Obtained ...................................A2 2. Table 1 - Sources of Live Dogs and Cats Used for Higher Education .............................................A3 3. Table 2 - Class B Random Source Dealers and Sales of Live Animals ............................................A4 4. Table 3 - Biological Supply Companies and Sales of Dog and Cat Cadavers ................................A5 B. Student/Educator Tool Kit ....................................................................................................................B1 1. Comprehensive List of Alternatives to the Harmful Use of Dogs and Cats in Undergraduate, Veterinary, and Medical Education ......................................................................... B2 2. Guide to Establishing an Educational Memorial Program (EMP) ..................................................B17 3. Guide to Passing a Student Choice Policy ....................................................................................B20 4. Sample of a Model Student Choice Policy .................................................................................... B22 5. Sample of a No Random Source Animals Policy ..........................................................................B24 Dying to Learn Preface Animalearn, the educational division of the American Anti-Vivisection Society (AAVS), serves as a resource for educators interested in implementing effective methods of humane science education into their curricula. In carrying out this mission, we travel to national education conferences, delivering workshops and conducting presentations on how teachers and professors can use the latest innovations in undergraduate and graduate life science, veterinary, and medical education. We also work with students who wish to obtain their life science, veterinary, or medical education without harming animals, and in conjunction with Dr. Lynette Hart,1 published a template of best practices for students wishing to establish a student choice policy2 at their college or university.3 Animalearn also houses The Science Bank, which is the largest free loan program in the United States for alternatives to dissection and vivisection for K-12, college, university, veterinary, and medical education. The Science Bank offers modern, humane alternatives to using animals, including CD-ROMs, models, mannequins, and simulators. Since Animalearn’s inception in 1990, we have received many inquiries from educators and students about the origins of animals being used for educational purposes in the United States. They are often surprised to learn that dogs and cats—animals that many Americans have in their homes as pets—are not only used, but are also harmed and even killed for educational purposes. Many question where schools are obtaining these animals. Due to the increasing numbers of people being forced to surrender their pets4 to pounds5 because of the current foreclosure crisis in the United States, we have received questions about whether former companion animals are being sold for educational and scientific use. We found that available information to answer these questions was lacking and decided to investigate the acquisition and use of dogs and cats at public colleges and universities across the U.S. After careful analysis, we present Dying to Learn: Exposing the Supply and Use of Dogs and Cats in Higher Education with the goal of providing a detailed look into how schools obtain dogs and cats, and what happens to our pets in campus labs. We believe that the evidence will be startling to anyone who shares a home with a beloved companion animal and who considers a dog or cat a part of the family. The findings point to failures in the system that seeks to provide reassurance to the public that animals are used appropriately and only under compelling circumstances in science, including science education. Animalearn works to constructively engage with the educational community by providing resources and identifying solutions. In Dying to Learn: Exposing the Supply and Use of Dogs and Cats in Higher Education, we include educationally sound solutions to replace harmful use of animals in higher education. With the extensive array of high-quality alternatives to harmful animal use available, and the number of renowned institutions of higher education implementing them into their curricula, we encourage those colleges and universities still using animals to explore and use these alternatives. Never before have advances in modern technology offered