How Shelter Pets are Brokered for Experimentation

Understanding Pound Seizure

By (author) Allie Phillips

Publication date:

16 September 2010

Length of book:

248 pages

Publisher

Rowman & Littlefield Publishers

Dimensions:

240x162mm
6x9"

ISBN-13: 9781442202115

Back in the 1940s, the practice referred to as Opound seizureO became a common practice in taxpayer-funded animal shelters across the country. Whether for cosmetic testing, human or animal drug testing, medical technique and tool testing, or biochemical testing, these once-family pets are subjected to experimentation that often ends in death. While many states fail to keep accurate data, the number of pets that become victims of pound seizure easily reaches the thousands and though most citizens are unaware of the practice, it may very well be happening at their local animal shelter. Pound seizure remains a dirty little secret in American society, but the practice is moving toward extinction with the help of local citizens advocating for change at their shelter, as well as animal rescue and welfare organizations providing assistance and advocacy. Learning more about the practice, as well as alternatives, will help give readers a fuller picture of whatOs happening in American animal shelters and what they can do to stem the tide of dealers and brokers sweeping off animals to their almost-certain demise.

Section I - Discovering the secret
Chapter 1 - A terrible discovery
Chapter 2 - What is pound seizure?
Chapter 3 - Laws and Legislation on pound seizure
Chapter 4 - Betrayal of Trust
Section II - The faces of pound seizure
Chapter 5 - Exposing dealers that violate the law
Chapter 6 - Experiments on random source animals
Chapter 7 - Alternatives to animal research
Chapter 8 - The victims of pound seizure
Chapter 9 - Voices of the research community
Chapter 10 - Shelters and pound seizure
Chapter 11 - Voices of the advocates to stop pound seizure
Section III - Taking Action
Chapter 12 - Advocacy Techniques
Chapter 13 - Threats, intimidation and lawsuits
Chapter 14 - Conclusion
Appendix A = Laws
Appendix B - Federal and Michigan pound seizure bills
Appendix C = PCRM medical school charts

When Phillips, who had once worked as a volunteer at an animal shelter, learned of the practice of pound seizure, she turned a 'betrayal of trust' into action. As vice president of No Paws Left Behind and director of public policy at the American Humane Association, the former prosecutor has made it her mission to expose and fight the practice of shelter's giving or selling cats and dogs to research facilities, universities, or Class B Dealers (animal brokers licensed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture). Extensive research and expert opinion result is a thorough history of a little known practice 'often intertwined with the legitimacy of medical research.' Phillips outlines some of the ways in which seized animals can be used for research, including 'the testing of medical techniques (surgical techniques or medical tools), pharmaceutical testing (human and animal drugs), blood banking for other animals, cosmetic, industrial, and biochemical.' Though many organizations are phasing out the use of such testing, these sections are still disturbing. Taking readers methodically through the facts of the issue, Phillips hopes to not only create awareness but also advocacy, and provides a bounty of practical resources for anyone who wants to take action.