Ask Wayne State University to Halt Inhumane Dog Experiments

Originally Posted: 17 December 2011

Ask Wayne State University to Halt Inhumane Dog Experiments

FROM Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM)

ACTION

Please take a minute to let Allan Gilmour, president of Wayne State University, know that you want him to immediately halt the use of dogs in the university's inhumane heart experiments. These dogs experience unrelenting pain for months during the experiments until they are killed at the end.

Sign an online petition:
https://secure2.convio.net/pcrm/site/Advocacy?pagename=homepage&page=UserAction&id=473&autologin=true&JServSessionIdr004=dywephjlh2.app210b

And/or better yet, make direct contact:

Allan Gilmour
Office of the President
Wayne State University
656 W. Kirby
4200 Faculty/Administration Building
Detroit, MI 48202
phone (313) 577-2230
fax (313) 577-3200

INFORMATION / TALKING POINTS

Here are some talking points:

• Wayne State University’s ongoing use of dogs in heart failure experiments is cruel and should be stopped before any more dogs suffer.
• Dogs in these experiments experience severe unrelieved pain and distress.
• Wayne State University should focus on advancing human-based research, such as epidemiological studies, clinical trials, and computer modeling.

I am writing to ask that you immediately end the cruel use of dogs in heart experiments at Wayne State University. In these experiments, dogs purchased from Class B "random source" dealers undergo major surgeries, are implanted with medical devices, and are forced to endure dozens of treadmill-running sessions. These dogs experience unrelenting pain for months during the experiments until they are killed at the end.

Charlie is one of the dogs who experienced such suffering. A well-behaved dog at first, Charlie became aggressive after two major surgeries left her sick and in pain. She was forced to run on a treadmill despite a near-constant fever, vomiting often, and weak or nonexistent signals from experimental devices. Finally, she became too sick to continue, and was killed.

These experiments are clearly inhumane, and should be stopped at once to prevent further suffering and end support of Class B dealers. Patients have benefited from human based epidemiological and clinical studies, and these are the methods that the university should be using as well. Wayne State University is touted as a leading research institution--please live up to that reputation by focusing on groundbreaking human-based epidemiological studies, clinical trials, and computer modeling technology.

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Thank you for everything you do for animals!