Dog photos spark concern for lab animals' welfare
Source: Xinhua |
February 21, 2013, Thursday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
A SET of photographs depicting two mistreated dogs has sparked concern for the welfare of laboratory animals in China.
The two scrawny dogs had been left with no water or food in a locked room at Nanchang University, with dozens of dead rats in cages as their only company, according to a woman surnamed Yin who fed the dogs after discovering them.
She said one dog's teeth had all been pulled out, while the other was seriously injured from being tied up too tightly.
Netizens expressed outrage after the pictures were posted online.
"We should respect life when striving for scientific advances," was one comment while another read: "Laboratory animals have helped mankind a lot, so we should care for them in return. They deserve to live a cozy life."
Hong Yijiang, director of Nanchang University's Biological Sciences Department, said the department hadn't carried out experiments with dogs for years.
"They may be stray dogs that were seeking shelter," he said but admitted the room where the dogs were found used to house laboratory animals.
Zhang Beibei, director of the Nanchang Small Animal Protection Association, said that even if the dogs were not kept for experiments, the public should still protect laboratory animals' welfare.
Animal experiments cannot be completely abolished, said Liao Kan, a researcher at the Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences. He said about 15 million animals were used in scientific research in China each year.
Wu Xiaohong, of the Animals Asia Foundation, said scientists should follow the "3 Rs" principle - reducing the number of animals used, refining their methodology and replacing animal experimentation with other methods.
Many institutions and researchers do respect their animals.
At the Shanghai organization's laboratory animal center, researchers have set up a memorial to all the animals that have died for scientific research. And medical students at Xi'an Jiaotong University pay their respects to experimental animals with bouquets every year.
A draft of China's first comprehensive animal welfare law - the China Animal Protection Law - was issued in September 2009. It has yet to become law.
The two scrawny dogs had been left with no water or food in a locked room at Nanchang University, with dozens of dead rats in cages as their only company, according to a woman surnamed Yin who fed the dogs after discovering them.
She said one dog's teeth had all been pulled out, while the other was seriously injured from being tied up too tightly.
Netizens expressed outrage after the pictures were posted online.
"We should respect life when striving for scientific advances," was one comment while another read: "Laboratory animals have helped mankind a lot, so we should care for them in return. They deserve to live a cozy life."
Hong Yijiang, director of Nanchang University's Biological Sciences Department, said the department hadn't carried out experiments with dogs for years.
"They may be stray dogs that were seeking shelter," he said but admitted the room where the dogs were found used to house laboratory animals.
Zhang Beibei, director of the Nanchang Small Animal Protection Association, said that even if the dogs were not kept for experiments, the public should still protect laboratory animals' welfare.
Animal experiments cannot be completely abolished, said Liao Kan, a researcher at the Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences. He said about 15 million animals were used in scientific research in China each year.
Wu Xiaohong, of the Animals Asia Foundation, said scientists should follow the "3 Rs" principle - reducing the number of animals used, refining their methodology and replacing animal experimentation with other methods.
Many institutions and researchers do respect their animals.
At the Shanghai organization's laboratory animal center, researchers have set up a memorial to all the animals that have died for scientific research. And medical students at Xi'an Jiaotong University pay their respects to experimental animals with bouquets every year.
A draft of China's first comprehensive animal welfare law - the China Animal Protection Law - was issued in September 2009. It has yet to become law.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
