Last Chance for Animals

Dog rescued from a B dealer facility.

The use of dogs and cats in laboratories has declined by more than two-thirds; from highs of 210,330 dogs and 70,468 cats in 1976 to lows of 66,610 dogs and 22,921 cats in 2005 (the most recent year for which data is available). 

Dogs and cats in laboratories come from two sources. Some, called "purpose bred," are bred specifically for research by Class A dealers or by research facilities themselves. Others, called "random source," are rounded up from various sources, including trade day sales, auctions, and animal shelters, and sold to laboratories by Class B dealers. Class B dealers sometimes use middlemen known as "bunchers," who are notorious for acquiring animals through unscrupulous means, such as theft or misrepresentation of their intentions. 

The number of Class B dealers currently trafficking in live random source dogs and cats is down from many hundreds in the 1980's to only 10 currently, yet the remaining dealers still account for an estimated 18,000 live dogs and cats sold to research facilities every year. 

To determine which research facilities are purchasing random source dogs and cats, The HSUS recently surveyed 50 of the leading universities that conduct biomedical research in the United States. These universities receive the highest amounts of public funds from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to conduct research. The survey was mailed out in September 2006 and the results were received in the ensuing months.  

Last Chance for Animals

Emaciated dog rescued from baird facility.

Of the 34 universities that disclosed whether or not they purchase random source dogs and/or cats from Class B dealers, three institutions (about 9 percent) indicated that they do purchase these animals from B dealers.  It's possible that some of the 16 universities that did not disclose whether they purchase random source dogs and/or cats from Class B dealers may also be purchasing these animals from B dealers.

In either case, these top research-oriented universities should be setting a better standard by saying "no" to acquiring dogs and cats from random source Class B dealers. The lives of thousands of companion animals are at stake.

Why Focus on Class B Dealers

Undercover investigations and U.S. Department of Agriculture inspections of Class B dealers (who sell random source dogs and cats to research), across four decades, have revealed example after example of an industry that shows a disregard of how it obtains dogs and cats and treats them at its facilities. 

The latest example, of Martin Creek Kennels, run by C.C. Baird, was among the worst. The USDA should no longer being sinking its limited resources into monitoring the last remaining Class B dealers selling random source, companion animals. And research facilities should stop hiding behind the excuse that "their" Class B dealer—often located miles away in a distant state—is the exception. Our nation's leading universities should help stop the trafficking of companion animals through the Class B dealer pipeline.  

In partnership with the Animal Welfare Institute, The HSUS is now expanding its survey to include all of the approximately 1,200 universities and other research institutions registered with the USDA to conduct animal-based research.

To date, 180 institutions have responded. Of these, 172 (about 96 percent) indicated they do not purchase random source dogs and cats from Class B dealers and 8 (about 4 percent) said they do. The complete results of the expanded survey will be announced soon. However, it suggests, as with our earlier, pilot survey, that a minority of research institutions are still purchasing random source dogs and cats from Class B dealers.  

 These universities said YES, they do purchase random-source dogs and/ or cats from Class B Dealers:

These universities did not disclose whether they purchase random-source dogs and cats from Class B dealers, despite an HSUS follow-up:

Click here for a list of universities [PDF] that, when surveyed, said they do not purchase random source dogs and cats for research from Class B dealers.