A Good Start
Jul 30, 07 12:12 AM News
On Thursday, July 26, 2007, the House of Representatives passed the Israel-Doyle Amendment to the Farm Bill.
The Farm Bill focuses on agricultural policy and tax provisions, and is debated on Capitol Hill every 5 years. Elected officials can add on amendments to the Bill, which are voted on independently. The Israel-Doyle Amendment is named after the two democrat representatives who introduced it - Steve Israel and Mike Doyle, from New York and Pennsylvania, respectively. This amendment seeks to prohibit the use of random source (Class B) animals like dogs and cats in medical research and education, as well as in sales demonstrations for medical equipment.
Animals of all sorts are used routinely in medical research, and have helped to advance our scientific knowledge to where it is today. There are very strict guidelines as to how an animal can be obtained, used, and treated. Because of these ethical standards that all scientists must adhere to, the cost of using animals is very high, often prohibitively so.
One way around this problem is to use random source instead of purpose-bred animals. What's the difference? Purpose-bred animals are bred with the sole intention of being used in an experiment, and from birth to death are treated very humanely. Their entire existence and how they are treated is monitored closely by various agencies. The origin of random source animals is often suspicious. Class B, or random source dealers can legally obtain animals from shelters that will euthanize the animal, or from an individual who bred the animal on their property. These dealers, who fortunately are being forced to extinction, often get their animals from sources other than shelters. While they must be licensed by the USDA, most do not follow the rules very well. There are cited cases of dogs obtained from flea markets, "free to good home" advertisements, and even stolen out of their owner's yards. Class B dealers turn around and sell these animals to research institutions at a much reduced cost, as compared to purpose-bred animals.
There is finally some light at the end of the tunnel. With the Israel-Doyle Amendment passing the House recently, it should be voted on in the Senate soon. Please, contact your Senators and let them know how you feel about the Amendment. The very best thing you can do is to call and also send an email. It only takes a few minutes to call, but it can really make an impact on your Senator votes.
The Farm Bill focuses on agricultural policy and tax provisions, and is debated on Capitol Hill every 5 years. Elected officials can add on amendments to the Bill, which are voted on independently. The Israel-Doyle Amendment is named after the two democrat representatives who introduced it - Steve Israel and Mike Doyle, from New York and Pennsylvania, respectively. This amendment seeks to prohibit the use of random source (Class B) animals like dogs and cats in medical research and education, as well as in sales demonstrations for medical equipment.
Animals of all sorts are used routinely in medical research, and have helped to advance our scientific knowledge to where it is today. There are very strict guidelines as to how an animal can be obtained, used, and treated. Because of these ethical standards that all scientists must adhere to, the cost of using animals is very high, often prohibitively so.
One way around this problem is to use random source instead of purpose-bred animals. What's the difference? Purpose-bred animals are bred with the sole intention of being used in an experiment, and from birth to death are treated very humanely. Their entire existence and how they are treated is monitored closely by various agencies. The origin of random source animals is often suspicious. Class B, or random source dealers can legally obtain animals from shelters that will euthanize the animal, or from an individual who bred the animal on their property. These dealers, who fortunately are being forced to extinction, often get their animals from sources other than shelters. While they must be licensed by the USDA, most do not follow the rules very well. There are cited cases of dogs obtained from flea markets, "free to good home" advertisements, and even stolen out of their owner's yards. Class B dealers turn around and sell these animals to research institutions at a much reduced cost, as compared to purpose-bred animals.
There is finally some light at the end of the tunnel. With the Israel-Doyle Amendment passing the House recently, it should be voted on in the Senate soon. Please, contact your Senators and let them know how you feel about the Amendment. The very best thing you can do is to call and also send an email. It only takes a few minutes to call, but it can really make an impact on your Senator votes.
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