Cat Disections/General Animal Abuse

How could you not like this face? Every year millions of animals are dissected in elementary, secondary, and college science classes. Each animal cut open and discarded, not only represents a life lost, but also a part of a trail of animal abuse and environmental havoc. Many of us have been forced to dissect the most common victim; frogs. Other animals include cats, mice, rats, worms, dogs, rabbits, fetal pigs, and fish. Their innocent lives are taken and disrupted all for our personal use/knowledge. How is that fair? Many animals are taken from their families, or from pounds, and killed solely for dissection.

Some animals come from breeding facilities who cater to institutions and businesses who use these animals for experiments, and other animals are caught in the wild. Animals that are bred just so they can be cut up by young children who probably don't even think about where they came from. Some of the animals are also stolen or abandoned companion animals. So what? You're probably thinking. Even though they were abandoned house pets; does that really mean it's right to just take them and ship them off to a factory to be killed and sold to schools? I honestly don't think it does. So put them in pounds, maybe you're thinking. I used to think that the pound was a nice place for the animals to go where they would be treated kindly and loved..and then i learned this.
I learned that even some pounds and animal shelters sell animals to biological supply companies, which in turn sell them to schools.
U.S pounds and animal shelters were established for the purpose of taking in homeless animals in order to improve animal welfare and protect public health. Many of the animals are taken to the shelters by guardians who can no longer keep them; which is fine. Thats better than simply throwing them out on the street. Others are strays who are taken in by concerned individuals, police officers, or animal control officers. While shelters taken in my animals, they mainly take care of cats and dogs, almost all of which are former companions, or are offspring of their parents. This brings me to my next point; The pound seizure law.

The pound seizure law means that if shelters are located in a state or country that enforces this law, they must turn over animals who are not claimed or taken by an owner within a certain number of days which is typically five. They must turn them over to laboratories who then use them in experiments. As imagined, these experiments must vary from testing human products on animals, to dissections.
Animal Protection Organizations object strongly to pound seizure for a very good reason. Animals who were once loved companions suffer the double blow of losing their human friends, and being confined to a laboratory cage. The families deal with having to know that a lost pet or animal or an animal they may have given up may have been killed in a painful experiment. In communities that require this law, many people who are unable to take care of their animals, are forced to abandon them on the streets or in an open field; which leads to an increase in homeless strays.

By providing an inexpensive and easy source of animals; pound seizure allows experimenters to continue using animals rather than switching to a superior humane alternative that may require an upfront financial investment. For decades, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center purchased cats from a local animal shelter for $15 each and used them in cruel and deadly medical training exercises. Even though sophisticated simulators were available, animals used in the exercises had tubes forced down their throats and needles stabbed into their chests. Is this truly the way to operate?
I can honestly say that i do not think this is right. Poor, innocent animals are being volunteered to be killed, and experience immense amounts of pain; for no reason at all. They are here, just like we are; trying to live and be happy. When one day someone comes along and brings them to a laboratory and is shoving tubes down its throat. We could change this. If you live in a state that mandates pound seizure, learn as much as possible about the subject. Talk to the managers of local animal shelters and pounds to see what they have done or are doing. Find out whether any town or state officials are interested in the issue and whether any are working to repeal pound-seizure laws, either locally or nationally. Start a petition campaign, find opportunities to talk about or debate the issue in public as well as in private, and organize a letter-writing campaign. You could change this. You could help save millions of animals today; it's your choice.

http://bio.bd.psu.edu/cat/