Regarding David Hubel's article on animal experimentation, it is not true that "most states make the use of pound animals for research and teaching purposes illegal." Only 14 states have outlawed pound seizure, with the remaining states leaving it to local authorities to determine the fate of animals in public pounds. Five states actually require that public pound animals be turned over to experimenters: Iowa, Minnesota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, and Utah.
The use of animals in experiments is not closely regulated by local, state, and federal committees. The Animal Welfare Act pertains mainly to space, shelter, food, water, and cleanliness in laboratories. It does not protect animals in experiments. In fact, the administration of painkillers can be waived if an experimenter feels it might conflict with the experiment. In 1985, the United States General Accounting Office reported that many laboratories were not inspected at all, including 51.7 percent of the...
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