Dogs are a man’s best friend. Their tail wag fiercely, panting their tongue, scratching and licking, they just meander in your closest vicinity, reflecting a sheen of loyalty and trust. They only know how to give love, asking so little in return.
Then why do we, humans, make them go through atrocities nobody deserves?
Though the rates of animal testing have dropped in the past few decades, it is still very prevalent in various parts of the world. Millions of animals are used in research facilities that include hospitals, schools, diagnostic laboratories and private firms in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries. From mice to monkeys, guinea pigs, rabbits, hamsters, birds, cats, dogs, mini-pigs and fish.
Dogs are a favored species in toxicology studies. In these studies, large doses of a test substance (a pharmaceutical, industrial chemical, pesticide, or household product) are pumped into animals’ bodies, slowly poisoning them. Out of all the dogs used for research purposes, the breed that tops the list are beagles.
In 2016, 42 young beagles were rescued from the confines of an animal testing lab. These beagles, aged between 2 and 4 years, were caged for the purpose of testing by a Bangalore-based pharmaceutical lab.
“Luckily these dogs have not been tested upon. They were being bred for testing while the company was waiting on project approvals, and the directive was issued before any experiments were actually conducted,” Chintana Gopinath, a volunteer at Compassion Unlimited Plus Action (CUPA) – a Bangalore-based NGO in-charge of rehabilitating rescued pups and dogs, reported Homegrown.
Why Beagles?
The reason Beagles are used in such a big quantity is because of their size. They are not too small like the toy sized breeds and they aren’t very huge, who are really hard to handle, making them just the apt size. They are equally trusting and loyal, and easy to manipulate.
Also, apparently, choosing just one breed as ‘the’ breed allows people working in this sector to somehow feel that using dogs for research purposes is more ethical.
These dogs are either stolen, taken from shelters or simply picked from the listings about dogs looking for a home.
Let me give you a glimpse of how these beagles are actually kept.
Imagine being cramped into a cage that barely contains all the parts of your body. Imagine being kept there for days and months together without having the freedom to feel the grass on your feet and the wind on your skin. You forget what being in the sun feels. You are just there, in a cold cage, either sleeping or gawking at your pathetic existence.
Even human criminals aren’t kept like that. How can anyone even think of keeping those harmless, beautiful creatures in a place like that?
Animals get depressed, too, just like us humans and they can go crazy. Especially with all those toxins and chemicals being injected into them, they can develop severe physiological duress. When an animal cannot endure it any longer, and literally goes ‘crazy’ from his living conditions, this is referred to as “stress-induced psychosis”.
I fail to understand how humans can lack empathy to such a great extent.
Stop this savagery. Stop this crime.