One quarter of a million homeless pets were killed last year; this equates to 680 per day.
These are sentient beings that have an interest in their lives not to be used or exploited. Like us, animals seek pleasure and avoid pain. A dog from the pound is ethically no different from one with a human guardian. Both have the same desire to live and the same capacity to suffer or enjoy life.
Current Nonhuman Rescue Ops Campaign
University of QLD Inhumane Teaching Methods For Veterinary Students Must End
Why kill healthy animals on a terminal laboratory table when human doctors do not learn by killing their patients at medical school?
Guidelines/Legislation
- Clause 1.10 The wellbeing of animals used for scientific purposes must be considered in terms of the animal’s lifetime experience. At all stages of the care and use of an animal, the methods used and the conditions to which an animal is exposed should promote the animal’s wellbeing. Known or potential causes of pain, distress, or lasting harm to the animals must be prevented, alleviated or minimised, including through the application of the principles of Replacement, Reduction and Refinement (the 3Rs):
- the Replacement of animals with other methods
- the Reduction in the number of animals used
- the Refinement of techniques used to minimise the adverse impact on animals.
Questionable practice at UQ: Theoretically, in Australia, the ability to achieve the same learning outcomes by means other than by surgery would render the practice illegal, since it breaches the NHMRC 7th code of practice for the care and use of animals for scientific purposes (2004). Current evidence suggests that alternative medical and surgery practicals can give equivalent outcomes (Knight, 2007)
Non Harmful Alternatives heading
The fact that veterinary schools in the UK, United States, Canada, as well as Sydney, Melbourne and WA in Australia, are able to produce well-qualified veterinarians without relying on terminal surgery labs demonstrates that they are able to achieve the same outcome by more humane means.
Many non-harmful alternatives now exist: computer simulations, preserved specimens, high-quality videos, models and surgical simulators, plastinated organs/animals, and clinical supervision.
Study comparing surgical abilities of graduates from Tufts University veterinary class of 1990, in which one-third of the students used alternatives. The students were rated for surgical competence by their employers at the time of their hiring and again 12months later. No differences were found for any measures, including ability to perform common surgical, medical and diagnostic procedures, attitudes toward orthopaedic or soft-tissue surgery, confidence and ability in performing procedures (Balcombe, 2000)
Statements/Quotes
RSPCA Qld "is opposed to providing dogs for non-recovery surgery or for any form of research. (We do allow final year vet students to desex our rehomeable dogs under supervision and they are returned to us for rehoming.) RSPCA encourages the use of alternative teaching methods (replacement) and reduction of numbers (Reduction) by ensuring students do initial practice on cadavers or simulated animals. We also support methods to ensure animals don't suffer throughout any process (Refinement)."
Dr Lisa Elsner; Veterinarian "I obtained my veterinary degree without killing any patients in the process - upon graduation I had performed many more desexings than anyone in my year and had the confidence to perform surgeries unsupervised. I learnt by performing the most common surgery a new graduate will perform, desexings of cats and dogs, whilst initially under the supervision of an experienced veterinarian and then on my own - this was done both at welfare shelters and private practices. This not only gave me superior learning to my peers but I also gained an enormous amount of post-surgical experience including monitoring of patients as they woke up and recovered. Qualified vets do not kill their patients after they operate on them so why should vet students be taught this way? Vet students who still take part in terminal surgeries are being denied a full education that is they are not gaining any post surgical care of their patients as well as being taught that it’s ok to use dogs and then dispose of them. It's only a matter of time before all vet schools will have to change their outdated ways and eliminate terminal surgeries and start teaching students to respect life and giving them that all important post surgical experience which is just as important as the surgery."
Anonymous Vet Student "I think the practice of using homeless animals as surgery subjects and then putting them down is appalling. It was the reason I left vet school at UQ. I arrived at this perspective because when I had to do the surgery pracs I would cry just about every single time knowing the dog lying in front of me was never going to wake up again. For someone who went into vet school because they love animals, this was an impossible thing to have to endure. Yes, there are healthy homeless pets used at UQ . Council trucks used to pull into the vet school with some beautiful dogs. Some were pure bred dogs that idiot owners never went to the pound to claim. Looking at their sad, scared little faces used to make me physically ill. They could sense what was going to happen to them. It was really really sad. I hated it." "The University of Queensland should not be using homeless companion animals in experiments; indeed, we should not be using any animals in any experiments or testing."
Email These Contacts to Help End This Inhumane Practice Now
John McVeigh MP Minister for Agriculture toowoomba.south@parliament.qld.gov.au Prepared Minister Letter click here for your copy
The QLD Premier Anna Bligh The.Premier@premiers.qld.gov.au
Robert Cassidy DEEDI robert.cassidy@deedi.qld.gov.au
Mayor Logan City Council Pam Parker mayor@logan.qld.gov.au
Prof. Jonathon Hill Dean University of QLD hosvetsci@uq.edu.au
To contact Nonhuman Rescue Ops please email info@nonhumanrescue.org
Dr Andrew Knight Publication - The Costs and Benefits of Animal Experiments