St Kitts in hot water over allegations of animal abuse at veterinary school
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| Published on Friday, February 15, 2008 |
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BASSETERRE, St Kitts: People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) has sent an urgent letter to St Kitts and Nevis attorney general Dennis Merchant urging him to immediately launch an investigation into invasive and deadly teaching procedures that are allegedly being performed on dogs, donkeys, and sheep at Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine, which is owned by Chicago-based DeVry, Inc.
The animal-rights group is also calling on the attorney general to prosecute any school officials who are found to be in violation of the country's cruelty-to-animals law. PETA's request comes after the group reportedly received complaints and photographs documenting the mutilation of animals that are forced to undergo multiple surgeries before they are killed and cut apart.
In the letter, PETA points out that humane alternatives to tests conducted at Ross are in use at other veterinary schools worldwide and that under St Kitts and Nevis law, it is illegal to cause "unnecessary suffering" to animals. The St Kitts-Nevis legal code is thought to be based on British standards, which do not consider it ethically acceptable to conduct terminal and nonbeneficial surgeries on healthy animals for veterinary training purposes.
Officials at Ross apparently ignored PETA's earlier appeal, which detailed the numerous proven educational advantages of computer models, clinical training, and other humane alternatives over outdated teaching methods that harm animals. Now, PETA is asking the attorney general to take legal action against the university if it does not agree to implement modern, humane alternatives to train its veterinary students.
"Ross University is forcing its students -- men and women who will devote their lives to healing animals -- to maim and kill dogs and other animals in unnecessary, painful procedures," says PETA Research Director Kathy Guillermo. "We're asking the attorney general to help students and animals by enforcing St Kitts' anti-cruelty laws." | | | | Reads : 682 | | | |
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