Pound sourced animals
National Consultative Committee on Animal Welfare (NCCAW) Position Statement
The use of dogs and cats from pounds for scientific research is one of the most controversial issues in the debate over animal experimentation. The views for and against their use are both set out below.
Animal Welfare Groups
Animal welfare groups oppose the use of pound-sourced domestic animals in research. Their opposition is based on a number of grounds including:
- The use of animals from pounds or shelter for research further obscures the huge community problem of overbreeding and irresponsible treatment of companion animals
- Pounds and shelters should operate for the benefit of discarded or lost pets. If the use of pound animals for research continues the community may be discouraged from bringing animals to the pounds or shelters where it is perceived that they may suffer further if transferred for research
- Animals which are accustomed to a domestic family situation may suffer simply through the confinement and possible social isolation of a laboratory environment, and
- The continued use of 'cheap' pound sourced animals contradicts the expressed purpose of government to reduce the number of animals used in research.
Scientific View
The scientific community supports the use of pound-sourced animals on the following grounds:
- Research using pound sourced animals have lead to many advances in medicine and surgery, and
- It is wasteful to destroy tens of thousands of dogs and cats in pounds each year, and then breed additional animals for research. It is better to use pound animals for the benefit of society in medical research than simply to destroy them.
It is recognised that there is legitimate concern that a 'wanted' animal might accidentally end up in a research program. To minimise this possibility, the following procedures can be put in place:
- Dogs could be held for a period longer than the minimum statutory period prior to use by the institution. While this adds to costs, it removes any doubt that owners have simply not had time to reclaim their animal(s).
- Selection of animals from the pound should be supervised by a veterinarian
- Full records should be kept
- For each experiment, the institutional Animal Ethics Committee (AEC) should consider whether 'random source' dogs are suitable for the experimental goals
- Institutions using pound-sourced animals should implement the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Policy on the Care of Dogs for Medical Research, and
- There should be access to the research facilities by officers of the local government or other agency in charge of the pound. The community from which the dogs are taken should be informed as to the nature of research programs involved. Experience has shown that this greatly reduces the level of misunderstanding in the community about the nature of the research being performed.
This Position Statement was first published in October 1993 and was reviewed by NCCAW on 20 February 2008. NCCAW made the decision to retain it without amendment.