Thousands of animals given up or lost appear in shelters
every year in need of safety and proper care. However, in states that
practice pound seizure, these animals may find themselves in a laboratory
instead. Pound seizure is the sale or release of cats and dogs from a
pound or shelter to a research, testing, or educational facility. The
regulation regarding this practice varies from state to state.
In three states�Minnesota, Oklahoma, and Utah � it
is required that publicly funded shelters and pounds sell dogs and/or cats
to institutions for experimental or educational purposes. In states such
as Ohio and Wisconsin a shelter does not even make surrendered
companion animals available for adoption but must provide them directly to
the institution upon request for the animals. Several states have no law
either way regarding pound seizure, and often it is left to the discretion
of local politicians.
In 1966, the Laboratory Animal Welfare Act, now known as
the Animal Welfare Act (AWA) was created to not only establish humane
standards for the care and transport of animals used in laboratories but
also to regulate dealers who sell animals to research institutions. In
1990, an amendment was added requiring shelters to hold animals for a
minimum of five days before being sold to a research facility to allow the
animal guardians time to claim their companions.
The AWA, enforced by the U.S. Department of Agriculture
(USDA), requires that animal dealers be classified as Class A or Class B
dealers. Class A dealers are breeders, and Class B dealers may breed
animals, but they also purchase and sell live or dead animals obtained
from many sources, including pounds and shelters. Class B dealers are
required to have proper documentation assuring legal acquisition and a
minimum holding time of 10 days following an acquisition before animals
can be sold to a research facility. Although violating these regulations
could result in a fine, some will try to obtain animals illegally and
falsify the necessary document to a laboratory.
By design, pound seizure distinguishes the credibility of
shelters, which are thought to be safe havens for animals in need.
Further, animals typically sold to dealers are docile and healthy, which
would also make them prime candidates for adoption if afforded the
opportunity. Considering that animals coming from a shelter were probably
raised in a home, the confines of a laboratory can be taxing on the
animal~ mental and physical states. Additionally, animals obtained from
shelters have unknown genetic and medical histories which can have a
significant impact on the outcome of a particular experiment.
To learn more and find out if pound seizure is practiced
in your state, please visit
www.banpoundseizure.org . If pound seizure is being practiced in your
state, contact your local representatives about your opposition to this
inhumane practice.
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