Word: pound
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Dates: during 1980-1989
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...recent years, repeal of pound seizure has been the focal point of the mounting controversy over use of animals in laboratories. Although few of the animal welfare organizations who oppose pound seizure are completely anti-vivisectionist, repeal of pound seizure is seen as the most effective way to force researchers to justify their use of animals for certain experiments...
Harvard researchers originally lobbied for passage of pound seizure in 1957 in an attempt to curb anti-vivisectionist sentiment stemming from the marked increase in dog-nappings. Pound seizure laws permit researchers to purchase dogs for three dollars apiece from public pounds. In states without pound seizure laws, stealing dogs and then selling them to researchers is an extremely lucrative business. In addition, pound seizure laws reduce the costs of research--researchers would otherwise pay $200-$300 for farm-bred dogs. To date, there are only nine states which still have pound seizure laws...
...present, Harvard is the single largest user of pound dogs in the Boston area. Although over 85 per cent of the dogs used for research came from animal dealers, last year over 2000 of the almost 3000 dogs used for research at Harvard were pound dogs. If pound seizure is repealed, Harvard officials estimate the cost of breeding dogs at $100-$150 per animal...
Many Harvard researchers fear repeal of the pound seizure law is the first step in an outright ban on the use of animals in research experiments. This year, bills to repeal pound seizure are being heard in the Massachusetts legislature, in both the Committee on Natural Resources and the Committee on Counties. Last year the Committee on Counties voted to repeal pound seizure but the proposal was defeated in the Senate Ways and Means Committee. Last year, New York repealed its version of the pound seizure law, the Metcalf-Hatch...
...think the Pound Seizure Law will be repealed," Dr. Ronald Hunt, director of Harvard's Animal Resource Center (ARC) says, "but in politics anything is possible. It is an emotionally charged issue, and I know the people in the State House would love to see it go away. However, the use of animals in medical research is necessary for the elimination of diseases. This research translates directly into the lessening of suffering of millions of humans. And the use of pound dogs translates into lessening of spiraling medical costs...