Stop University of Arizona dog torture!

Dear Sir / Madam,

At the University of Arizona, dogs are being used in cruel, inhumane and scientifically invalid experiments. Currently, many classes offer terminal dog labs, including a cardiovascular teaching laboratory for training physiology students, a laparascopic teaching lab for teaching surgeons, and a veterinary science lab. As an example of the U of A's inefficacy ; using dogs in outdated teaching labs, has been replaced by humane and scientifically far more advanced, accurate methods in leading schools such as Harvard and Stanford.

The AZ chapter of the American Heart Association is using U of A dogs in vascular grafting studies involving open heart surgery. In these studies dogs are subjected to repeated surgeries involving severe and unrelieved pain. At least one of these studies is a Column E study, which is rated as the highest level of pain by the USDA. The average number of dogs used per study ranges from 40 to 60 animals.

It is widely proven that heart disease is largely preventable, yet the American Heart Assoc. prefers opening the chests (thorax) of healthy dogs, and subjecting them to weeks of agony.

The U of A also uses puppies as vein donors for other research projects, and kills them anytime from birth on to eight weeks. The mothers are then entered into other research projects. In addition, many toxicology studies are being done. The dogs are force-fed various poisons, and suffer horribly before being killed.

3000 pages of material on research are available including the period January 1997 to February 2001 and outline, in detail, horrendous invasive procedures applied to hundreds of dogs. Clinical records from the dogs indicate some incisions do not heal properly, including severe mouth burns and other parts of the body, including genitals, because cleaning chemicals were not washed down properly in the kennel. Some dogs were "frightened and shaking" as noted by the animal care technician, and were still used in research projects. Some dogs were even de-barked because their barks could be heard outside the kennel walls.

Furtherly unacceptable and incriminating is that the U of A, a state institution funded by state tax dollars, uses dogs in research for private biomedical companies who will then market the materials tested for profit. A crime to humanity and animals funded by tax payers' money !!

Using dogs because they are a profit-maker is inhumane, unethical,unscientific and unnecessary. There are humane and far more scientific methods of study available now, today. So please help by demanding the cruel and outdated dog labs at the University of Arizona are closed down immediately (and the dogs be adopted to caring homes) !

Thank you for your valuable time and consideration, the world is watching.