National Call-In to President "Brit" Kirwan
MONDAY, MAY 21st from 10:00AM (EDT) to 2:00PM (EDT)
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Some of the participates in our Kickoff Rally of the OSU Clinic leaflet campaign.
ACTIVISTS LAUNCH TWO-WEEK DEMO WITH PROTEST AT "ADVANCES IN VETERINARY MEDICINE DAY
WHAT: DEMONSTRATION AGAINST CATS-ON-SPEED RESEARCH
WHERE: SISSON HALL 1920 COFFEY RD OSU VET SCHOOL COMPLEX
WHEN: THURSDAY * 12 APRIL 2001 * 11:00 AM TO 12:30PM
Columbus: Protect Our Earth's Treasures will kickoff a two-week-long leafleting campaign in front of the veterinary hospital with a protest at Sisson Hall where the vet school plans to hold its annual "Advances in Vet Med" celebration.
"The good reputation of this vet school is threatened by illegitimate research," says Rob Russell, POET's director. "And we hope that once clients arriving with their pets read the criticisms of Podell's protocol, and realize what goes on behind closed doors at the vet school, they will call for a halt to this so-called AIDS experiment."
POET recently sent a letter to OSU's trustees decrying the vet school's tactics in dealing with the cats-on-speed controversy. Instead of answering critics' concerns, the March issue of Speculum, a veterinary college publication, accuses POET of encouraging homophobia to achieve its goal of stopping Podell's research. "These unfounded attacks," says Russell, "show me that the vet school administration has ADVANCED its ability to deal in dirty tricks. That is not the same thing as an an ADVANCE in veterinary medicine."
We need YOU to join us and help halt this experiment. Make your voice heard!!
March 14th in front of the Athletic Club a dozen demonstrators handed out about 200-300 flyers to people attending a noon hour talk by OSU President Brit Kirwan. Response was very positive.
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Wednesday - MARCH 7
SHAME ON OSU!
Bricker Hall Rally
The rally was attended by 3 dozens members of POET. More than 1,000 pieces of information were distributed.
Here's some pic's of a few of the protesters. And where was President Kirwan? In Washington D.C. meeting with the Ohio congressional delegation in hopes of bringing more re$earch dollars to Ohio State University.
March 6th
Vandals Target Kirwan and OSU
P.O.E.T. does not take responsibility for the vandalism nor support the tactics which are described in the two linked articles.
Vandals protest OSU's cat research (Dispatch article no link)
OSU Lantern - Kirwan's house, Bricker vandalized
Feb 14th - 7:00AM - 8:00AM
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Hyatt Regency - 350 N. High St.
William E. Kirwan, President of The Ohio State University, was the keynote speaker at a "power breakfast" being held at the Hyatt Regency next to the Columbus Convention Center.
And a dozen activists showed up charging OSU with Having A Heart of Stone. This cat experiment shows a penchant for Greed Not Good!!!!It was a great rally for the cats. Here's a portion of The Lantern article about the breakfast.
Animal rights activists made an appearance but did not make it in the doors to express their disapproval of some research initiatives. The activists held up signs, “Kirwan don’t think about the dough for once and stop killing cats,” and “Have a heart on Valentine’s Day and save the cats.” Others yelled, “No more cats! Stop the killing!”
A big thank you for those who woke up and were functioning early. This is just another sign to OSU that we are not going to stop. This project was worthless, tasteless, and shameful the day it was approved at the ILACUC meeting and still is today. Not One Cat!
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Podell jumps on the government gravy train and receives $1.6 MILLION from NIDA to begin his experimentation!
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Disappointment does not even come close to expressing our feelings upon hearing
that Podell has received funding from the National Institute on Drug Abuse,
but our protests will not stop!
We were told by the Ass. Dean of Veterinary Medicine, this experiment is a building
block - Podell's career. And with this project Podell has moved his career from
that of helping cats with FIV to one of creating suffering for the animals.
There will be no benefit to the cats used in this project. And as vets and doctors
have said after reviewing this experiment - "nothing of value that will help
humans suffering from AIDS."
Podell receives the first 20 cats for his experiment, Dec. 7, 2000.
Podell protocol receives funding from NIDA.
Other investigators who received funding from NIDA in response to the common request for applications.
The National Institute on Drug Abuse has picked the review committee for this project.
The entrance to the OSU Vet Clinic
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No funding has been received yet Dr. Podell just can't wait to start working
on the cats. On JUNE 12, 2000 5 cats arrived at Ohio State University from Battelle
Memorial Institute. All five cats are targeted for protocol 00A0066, the FIV/METH
in cats study. Per USDA, the cats are tracked with an identification number.
There are 4 females and 1 male, all 5 months old. Their ID #
ABB5
AAY4
IBE2
IBD3
IBE3
Update - 10/23/00 - The five cats were transferred to another protocol. At the moment Podell has not received any cats for this experiment. We will keep you informed.
Update - 12/16/00 - Three of the cats were transferred to the protocol of
Norton H. Neff. To learn more enter here.
The other two cats were transferred to 96A0038 which is discussed below.
Silence Broken and Explanation
One open issue that we have been working is where was Podells "preliminary data"
for this study obtained. It has taken 6 months but we finally have an answer.
OSU stated in a letter to POET, August 25th, that the protocol 96A0038, InVivo Test Systems to Study Pathogenesis and Therapy of Retroviral Diseases, Lawrence E. Mathes, principal investigator, is the project which supplied the data to Podell. The current data POET has contains no indications of meth being given to cats. The original project called for 84 "weaning" and 84 adult cats. In 1998, an additional 6 cats were approved. The project expires April, 2002. As stated in the protocols abstract:
"In these studies, we will evaluate drugs which inhibit retrovirus infections in cell cultures for their ability to prevent or cure cats infected with feline retroviruses such as feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) and feline leukemia virus (FeLV). Most of these drugs are new compounds with unknown pharmacological properties in the cat. For this reason, limited studies are performed to determine dose and manner in which to administer the drug in order to maximize its therapeutic effect in cats"
A review of this protocol did not give the answers. Another request was submitted to OSU. At the Dec. 15th ILACUC meeting the following explanation was provided:
This protocol states in their justification for number of animals to be used:
"Pharmacokinetics studies will be required to test any new drug previously
uncharacterized in the feline system. In order to determine dose-dependent bioavailability
and half-life, a total of 6 weaning cats will be used to test any one agent.
We anticipate testing 2 drugs during the 3 year duration of this protocol, therefore
utilizing a total of 12 weaning cats for pharmacokinetics studies."
While METH is not a new drug it does fall under "uncharacterized". So under the guise of this protocol Podell and Mathes administered METH to cats to characterize its effects.
Our Press Release
FORMER OSU QUARTERBACK TEAMS WITH P.O.E.T. DIRECTOR TO PROTEST CAT CRUELTY
AT OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY
WHAT: VIGIL AND FAST
WHERE: OSU VETERINARY SCHOOL HOSPITAL (601 THARP RD)
WHEN: FRIDAY * 15 SEPTEMBER 2000 * 7:00 AM and ONWARD
Bill Long, Mandie Jones and Rob Russell are planting themselves at OSU's Vet School and swearing off food until the university pulls the plug on a "scientifically unjustified and cruel experiment that will cause the suffering and death of defenseless animals," says Russell.
This is the fifth in a series of protests scheduled by the animal-rights organization P.O.E.T. against Michael Podell's FIV/metham- phetamine research that, if allowed to continue, will infect, drug, and destroy 120 cats at OSU's College of Veterinary Medicine.
"Sure I'd rather be sitting down to a pre-game meal on this home game weekend" says 1969 OSU graduate Bill Long who played on both the football and baseball teams. "But knowing that my alma mater is behind this unnecessary killing is killing not only my appetite, but my long-standing school spirit and devotion."
Mandie Jones delivers petitions to President Kirwan's office. No Kirwan, but there sure were a lot of guys with blue suits
hanging around.
Members of POET distributing flyers. Television coverage of the demonstration and delivery of petitions.
July 24th demonstration had more than a dozen activists handing out literature to the OSU students and faculty. We distributed 350+ pieces of literature and had two radio interviews.
