Archive for March 6th, 2007
The American College of Surgeon’s View of Animal Research
In a letter to the editor of the Tribune & Georgian, Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine’s Aysha Akhtar responds to a previous letter published in that newspaper attacking PCRM.
Akhtar discusses the current state of animal use in medical schools and writes,
The America [sic] College of Surgeons no longer uses live animals in its clinical training programs and has endorsed the use of simulation technologies to replace live animal use in surgery training programs.
Since Akhtar is so fond of the American College of Surgeons, it might be useful to look at the entirety of their position statement on animals in education and research. The following is the full text of that statement, first adopted in 1991 and then altered slightly in 2002 to reflect changes in federal animal regulations,
The American College of Surgeons supports the responsible use and humane care and treatment of laboratory animals in research, education, teaching, and product safety testing in accordance with applicable local, state, and federal animal welfare laws. Further, the membership believes that only as many animals as necessary should be used; that any pain or distress animals may experience should be minimized or alleviated; and that, wherever feasible, alternatives to the use of live animals should be developed and employed.
The American College of Surgeons believes that now and in the foreseeable future it is not possible to completely replace the use of animals and that the study of whole living organisms, tissues, and cells is an indispensable element of biomedical research, education, and teaching.
Certainly the American College of Surgeons has recommended the use of non-animal alternatives for clinical teaching where the non-animal alternatives are equal to or better than traditional animal methods, but the ACS does not share Akhtar’s or PCRM’s view of “the need to move away from using animals in medical research and education.”
Sources:
Animals are not meant for medical research. Aysha Akhtar, Letter to the Editor, The Tribune & Georgian, March 6, 2007.
Statement on the Use of Animals in Research, Education, and Teaching. American College of Surgeons, 2002.
Tags: American College of Surgeons, Aysha Akhtar, Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, United States
Three SHAC UK Animal Rights Extremists Jailed
Three UK animal rights extremists received jail sentences ranging from 15 months to four years their part in an illegal campaign against companies that had business relationships with Huntingdon Life Sciences.
Mark Taylor, 39; wife Suzanne, 35; and Teresa Portwine, 48, were the first to be charged under new UK laws designed to make it easier to crack down on animal rights extremists who skirted the law in their efforts to harass and intimidate animal research firms and nonprofits.
All three plead guilty to conspiracy to interfere with a contractual relationship. Portwine was sentenced to just 15 months, Suzanne Taylor received 2 1/2 years, and Mark Taylor was sentenced to four years in jail.
The judge in the case apparently took into account testimony from witnesses that Taylor had been a ring leader of the group’s activities in handing out the sentence. Taylor participated in numerous protests and drove others to said protests where groups of Stop Huntingdon Animal Cruelty activists wearing masks would storm into the offices of the targeted companies.
Sources:
3 animal rights extremists
sentenced. D’arcy Doran, Associated Press, March 6, 2007.
Animal rights activists are jailed for ‘intimidation’. New Scotsman, March 6, 2007.
Animal rights activist jailed. Press Association, March 6, 2007.
Tags: Great Britain, Huntingdon Life Sciences, Mark Taylor, Stop Huntingdon Animal Cruelty, Suzanne Taylor, Teresa Portwine, Terrorism
Kansas State Students to Stop Throwing Chickens During Basketball Games (Seriously)
Apparently it is common for students at Kansas State to sneak live chickens into the auditorium when their team plays rival Kansas, whose mascot is the Jayhawk. The student(s) then throw the chicken out onto the floor as a way of mocking the Jayhaw mascot.
Yeah, it didn’t make any sense to me either.
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals got wind of the practice, however, and sent a letter to Kansas State objecting to this mistreatment of animals.
The athletic department followed up with a statement asking fans to discontinue the tradition, saying,
These actions severely tarnish the image of our University, its athletics teams and the majority of our outstanding fans and supporters and while viewed by many as harmless pranks, these acts are likely illegal.
PETA’s Debbie Leahy told the Associated Press, “Any student who throws live birds on a basketball court should be thrown out of school.”
A bigger question might be how the chicken throwers managed to get in to Kansas State in the first place.
Sources:
N.C. vs. Duke: blood feud. Reggie Hayes, The News-Sentinel (Indiana), March 6, 2007.
Kansas State Athletic Department Condemns Chicken Toss. Associated Press, February 28, 2007.
Tags: Chickens, Debbie Leahy, Kansas, Kansas State University, Miscellaneous, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, United States