Animals Used In Research - Ohio
Annual Reports for Research Facilities can now be found on the USDA website.
Highlights are animals used in experimentation where pain and/or distress was NOT relieved. Category "E"
P&G used 4 dogs in toxicity tests. (pg. 8)
Children's Hospital in Cincinnati used 27 guinea pigs in a study where drugs would interfere with the experiment. (pg. 11)
OSU used 37 Siberian Hamsters in an intruder (agression study) model and 66 Deer Mice in wound healing experiments. (pg.14-15)
University of Cincinnati used 10 sheep in an end stage heart failure model and 19 hamsters in a congested heart failure study. (pg.28-29)
Case Western used 14 pigs in a study where drugs would interfere with the experiment, 50 dogs in a study where drugs would interfere with the cardiac experiment, 25 guinea pigs in an efficacy study where drugs would interfere with the infection results, and 83 hamsters in a study to observe the development of neurodegerative disease. (pg. 52-55)
WIL Labs used 11 rabbits - 8 in acute dermal irritation studies and 3 in ocular irratation studies (pg.80)
Not one facility that listed animals in category "E" was placed online in 2005.
The reports from 2006 have NOT been uploaded. Annual Reports are filed in November for the previous year. Next Annual Reports would be due November 2007.
It is now November 2007 and USDA has not made any updates to the annual reports. The 2006 reports have yet to be posted online.
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2/8/07 - Last Friday, Stop Animal Exploitation Now, an animal-rights group, announced that two squirrel monkeys died prematurely during research in May 2005 at UT's Health Science Campus. The Independent Collegian
Cleveland Clinic and Dog Used For Sales Demo
Clinic dog: Report complete, doctor disciplined
Created: 2/1/2007 5:33:13 AM
Updated:2/1/2007 9:49:00 AM
Complete story - http://www.wkyc.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=62476&provider=gnews
CLEVELAND - A Cleveland Clinic doctor who induced a brain aneurysm in a dog to demonstrate a medical device requested the animal without specifying it would be used for sales training, a federal investigator concluded.
The neurosurgeon "utilized an approved research protocol with no training component to request the animal be delivered to the lab," the U.S. Department of Agriculture inspection report said.The doctor then "diverted the animal to his use for the training program he was conducting," said the Jan. 24 report from a USDA veterinarian.
The doctor induced the aneurysm in the dog Jan. 10 to demonstrate a medical device to a group of 20 to 25 salespeople. The large, mixed-breed dog was anesthetized during the demonstration and had to be euthanized afterward because of the damage caused by the aneurysm, the clinic said.
The clinic said the procedure wasn't authorized and the hospital bans such use of animals. The clinic reported itself to the USDA, which regulates animal testing.
Follow this link to the USDA
investigation and the Annual Reports showing the number of animals used
at Cleveland Clinic.
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March 4, 2004, POET submitted a Freedom of Information request (FOIA) to USDA/APHIS for inspection reports and annual report from January 1, 2002 to March 1, 2004 for the research facilities you see listed on the map above. On May 24, 2005 we received a partial resolution to our request.
USDA has allowed Battelle, Case Western, and WIL Labs to comment on disclosure of information in column E (where pain and/or distress is NOT relieved) of the annual reports for 2003 and also 2002 for Battelle.
We were distressed with our findings upon reading the inspection reports. A huge question came to us.
Who Is Taking Care of the Animals Used In Research in Ohio?
Four of the facilities listed above have problems directly related to animal care issues.
University of Cincinnati
April 10, 2002 - Inspection by USDA
On 3-28-02 a cat died that was being used in a teaching Veterinary Tech protocol. A declaw procedure was noted in the necropsy report. An examination of the preserved from feet saw a moderate to large portion of the footpad was removed on several digits of the right and left foot and three netacarpal bones were exposed. The USDA inspector wrote, "This is unacceptable veterinary practice."
The eight (8) other declawed cats were also examined by two veterinarians and found that immediate surgery to repair the exposed metacarpals was necessary.
The inspection report notes that several vet. techs and students questioned the veterinarian's qualifications for declawing cats. The students were not aware of how to report deficiences to the IACUC. (animal care and use committee)
When the inspectors revisited the university they note - "both attending veterinarians will receive continuing education on cat declaw."
The last inspection report we received was from Sept. 4, 2003. That inspection made no mention of the cats and appeared to be a review of IACUC operating procedures.
University of Toledo
An Inspection in October 2002 show a problem with veterinary care and training. There also is an issue with IACUC and their operating procedures.
The IACUC is responsible for insuring that attending veterinarians (those people responsible fo rthe animals used in research) are trained. IACUC is also to review procedures, etc. This does not appear to have been happening at the university.
Rabits were euthanized by CO2 which is not approved by the Program of Veterinary Care nor the IACUC. CO2 was performed by "utilizing a tupperware container with approx. dimensions 25 in L by 18 in H by 8 in wide. IACUC did not approve this CO2 chamber for rabbits over 7.0 lbs. This is inadequate veterinary care for rabbits."
Read about the tragic death of four rabbits who suffered pain and distress due to "inappropriate and inadequate veterinary care" at the university.
Case Western University
Issues involving personnal appear to have been corrected. Click on their location for further information.
Ohio State University
We have filed another FOIA request for more recent inspection reports. Let's hope for the animals sake that the information is received faster than 1 year, 2 months and twenty days after today.
Ohio University - Support Ohio University students efforts to attend OU ILACUC meetings.