By Dawn McPherson
In light of the recent death of a dog following a demonstration at an Ohio medical center, The HSUS is calling on the U.S. Congress to amend the Animal Welfare Act to bar the use of live animals in medical sales demonstrations.
The death occurred as a result of an unauthorized procedure at Cleveland Clinic, according to press reports. A neurosurgeon created an artificially generated aneurysm on a live dog in an attempt to demonstrate a medical device used to treat aneurysms. About two-dozen salespeople from the device's manufacturer watched the demonstration, and at least some participated in a hands-on exercise. It was reported that the dog was anesthetized during the procedure and afterward was killed.
The surgeon did not have approval of the hospital's Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee, an internal review body mandated by the Animal Welfare Act. The clinic reported the incident to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which is responsible for enforcing the Act.
The USDA conducted its own investigation and reported that the procedure was not conducted according to protocol, according to a USDA investigation report. The report concluded that the IACUC completed a thorough investigation and provided recommendations for training and disciplinary action.
In a follow up letter sent on Jan. 19, 2007, the IACUC recommended that the individual directly responsible for the non-compliance be barred from performing animal research for two years. The Committee also recommended that all researchers involved with endovascular research complete a "rigorous re-training program," and that the research group set up formal guidelines for research on animals.
The unauthorized procedure raises serious ethical and legal questions and points to a larger problem with the animal research regulatory system in the United States.
"Not following internal procedure on something as sensitive as this was reckless. This [surgeon] was incredibly naive about the system or just didn't care," said Martin Stephens, vice president for animal research issues at The HSUS, adding that using dogs for sales demonstrations "does not pass muster these days."
Laws concerning the basic welfare of animals used in research, including the Animal Welfare Act, do not expressly prohibit any experiments. Under the AWA, institutions largely self-regulate through Institutional Animal Care and Use Committees. Congress established the IACUC system in 1985 to address animal welfare issues and address public concerns about animal pain and distress, but the law has not succeeded. Published reports have demonstrated that IACUCs are inconsistent in their oversight and in their application of the law, particularly when it comes to animal pain and distress, according to a 2005 audit report by the USDA inspector general.
Since 1985, public opposition to animal research that causes severe pain and distress has grown from just over half of Americans to 75 percent.
