Shelter Animals in Laboratory Experimentation 383 • Citizens in some localities are obligated to take strays to the shelter and are expected to be Good Samaritans and call in abuse and neglect complaints Turning those pets over to shelters engaging in pound seizure undermines these laws and ordinances • People who surrender their beloved pet due to job loss and homelessness should not worry that their pet will be an experiment • The hold period at some shelters is not sufficient time if a family is looking for their lost pet • Pets that are taken by a Class B dealer are often transferred to other state laboratories thus making it difficult for families to reclaim them • Family pets are not good experimentation subjects as they may not be accustomed to being handled by strangers, being in a cage, being poked, being denied affection and the comforts of home These pets often stop eating, become depressed, develop stress-related ailments and this impacts the validity of research • All national animal protection organizations, including the National Animal Care and Control Association, object to pound seizure • A vast majority of shelters have rejected the practice as it is contrary to the purpose of an animal shelter • There are too many concerns regarding the conduct and secrecy by the Class B dealers, including the expensive oversight by the USDA Conclusion The issue of animal experimentation, especially on shelter cats and dogs, evokes heightened emotions in those that find the practice to be barbaric and abusive It also evokes a defensive response from those that support the practice as providing relevant life-saving measures for people No matter where you fall in this continuing debate, an objective look at US animal anticruelty laws demonstrate that the conduct in experimentations would be deemed animal cruelty in any other setting, which is why animal experimentation is specifically exempted from all US animal cruelty laws The positive step in fixing this problem is to recognize that laboratory animal abuse is not only an ethical or scientific issue but is also a US Congressional budget appropriations problem that requires a fiscal solution A top to bottom audit of the NIH’s spending on animal experimentation is sorely needed and must be done before Congress appropriates another blank check or budget increase So long as taxpayers are footing the bill for most