PETA VS wil einde gebruik proefdieren in Universiteit Arizona - In een lab in 3 jaar tijd 864 kikkers gedood - Ook apen onder proefdieren

Animal-rights group wants ASU to stop testing

animals

04-03-2010 by Luci Scott, The Arizona Republic, AZCentral, USA


The animal-rights group PETA wants Arizona State University to stop using animals in its biology labs. "There is no sound scientific or educational justification for dissection and classroom experiments on live animals," said Justin Goodman, research associate supervisor with PETA.

He spoke Tuesday in ASU's Memorial Union. His visit was sponsored by an ASU group, Students Taking Action for Animal Rights or STAAR.

At any one time, 5,000 animals are being used on campus, he said, including rats, rabbits, dogs, cats and monkeys. Most are used in research, but one-fifth are used - unnecessarily -- for educational purposes, he said.

In a general biology lab, Bio 188, a total of 864 frogs were used in three years, Goodman said. Live frogs are anesthetized and cut so students can watch their hearts beat, and watch the effects on their bodies of the application of hormones. Then the frogs are killed by having a pin stabbed in their brain or they're decapitated, he said.

Citing figures he obtained from ASU through a public records request, he said that in three years, the class Bio 201 used 120 pregnant rats, Bio 352 used 400 mice and Bio 361 used 216 frogs, 41 pregnant rats and 295 rabbits.

Students learn as well or better with non-animal alternatives, he said, including computer software, DVDs, models, virtual reality and lifelike mannequins.

Skip Derra, an ASU spokesman, said ASU had responded to two public records requests from PETA.
"We also reviewed our procedures when PETA presented alternatives and found that the PETA suggestions did not provide the educational experience of the present method," he said.
"ASU communicated that to PETA."

Derra provided a statement from ASU that said the university supports the responsible study and humane care and treatment of animals in teaching.
"ASU believes that alternatives to the use of live animals should be developed and the university should employ them whenever possible," it said.

In fact, most labs use non-animal alternatives, the university said.

The goal of ASU's Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee is to not only ensure that ASU meets all regulatory requirments, but also to ensure that there is a strategic balance between the quality of teaching and the use of animals, the ASU statement said.
"Animals are never treated cruelly or inhumanely at ASU," the university said.

Goodman cited an article in the journal Nature that said 93 percent of U.S. medical schools do not use live animals in labs to train students.
"Today you can become a brain surgeon or a trauma surgeon without touching an animal, dead or alive," he said.
"Nearly all medical students learn by human simulators. . . . When you deal with a rabbit, you get a rabbit response; that's not telling you about humans."

Places are still using animals because of lack of information about alternatives or because of "institutional inertia" and faculty resistance to calls for change from outside parties, he said.

"ASU can do better," he said. If the university replaced animals in labs, it would save lives, enhance education, save money and create a more inclusive learning environment by not discouraging those who have ethical beliefs against using animals, Goodman said.

PETA first contacted ASU nearly a year and a half ago after PETA was contacted by some ASU students.

Goodman said ASU had been "very unresponsive" in his requests to open a dialogue.
"I contrast that to UC-Irvine, where we had ongoing discussions, and they were responsive and communicative. ASU hasn't been. It's disappointing."

Goodman encouraged his audience to sign petitions, write letters to ASU and to newspapers, work with student government to pass resolutions against animal use and to speak to the Board of Regents.

Petitions signed by 1,500 students were previously delivered to ASU Provost Betty Capaldi.

Kirby Mauro, vice president of STAAR, said the petitions were accompanied by a letter inviting ASU to debate, but that there had been no response.

(Bron: http://www.azcentral.com/)