February Vigil-Protests...Update re Dogs Exploited/Killed at UCSF...Action You Can Take

[Guest guest]

Dear Animal Companions, Advocates, Vigilers, Lovers & Liberators:

 

The Vigil-Protests at UCSF continue into an unprecedented 11th consecutive month, with the focus on dogs continuing into the month of February. Dates and times for February follow:

 

 

CANDLELIGHT VIGIL: FEBRUARY 11, 4:15 PM (TO AROUND 6:30 PM)

(Bring candles & canine companions, if you wish.)

 

DAYLIGHT VIGIL-PROTEST: FEBRUARY 26, 11:30 AM (TO ABOUT 1 PM)

(Bring canine companions, if you wish.)

 

UCSF is located at 513 Parnassus Avenue, San Francisco; see below for directions for public transportation. And by the way, if you are creative and can make a sign re "wo/man's best friend", please do so and bring to protest/vigil.

 

UPDATE RE DOGS HELD AT UCSF: First I must correct an earlier update re dogs at UCSF. I had stated that there were 390 dogs planned for use in 10 research projects to be conducted by UCSF through June of 2004. HOWEVER, I was mistaken - for there were 2 research protocols stapled behind 2 others, and I had not noticed nor counted them. Thus the number of dogs planned for use is actually 950 (including beagles, mongrels, and German shepherds) for use in 12 research projects. Seven projects involve 86 dogs in studies regarding cancer, stroke, bladder augmentation, spinal cord, magnetic resonance imaging, embolization techniques, and high-cholesterol diet re human vascular disease. The other 5 projects involve up to 864 dogs in studies concerning various apsects of human heart disease.

 

Following is a description of one of the research projects involving dogs at UCSF, titled "Effects of Congestive Heart Failure on Electrophysiology and Remodeling" (Project #03022715). If you would, please take action by writing a letter or two; information on whom to write follows after the description of the project below. (Words in quotes are taken from the project's protocol.)

The project entails the proposed use of up to 200 dogs (perhaps less if the Principal Investigator decides he can accomplish his objectives using a lower number) in a study re congestive heart failure. The protocol for the project indicates the use of dogs from two to five years old, but it does not state their breed.

According to the protocol, the objective of the project is to "understand the mechanism by which heart failure causes atrial fibrilation" (irregular heartbeat, associated with stroke and other morbidity) and thus bring about improved treatment for patients so afflicted. To accomplish their objective, researchers plan to anesthetize up to 160 dogs to surgically implant pacemakers in them. (Forty dogs will be used as a control group; that is, they will not be implanted with pacemakers but will be used to compare results between them and the dogs implanted with pacemakers.) Three to five days after surgery, the pacemakers "will be programmed to rapidly pace at 200 to 250 bpm [beats per minute] for 2-6 weeks and/or the dogs show symptoms of heart failure." Clearly the dogs suffer severe pain in these experiments, for according to the protocol, "adverse effects" include "abdominal bloating from heart failure,

pulmonary edema and coughing," as well as infection from implantation of the pacemakers. Analgesics will be given to the dogs "on an as needed basis." Pain will be assessed by "whether the dog flinches when touched, cries out when touched or in any way favors the incision, or fails to eat and drink." All dogs - except for about 5% that the researchers expect to die due to heart failure - will be euthanized at the end of the project.

 

TAKE ACTION: The expiration date for the aforementioned project is March 15, 2004; thus UCSF researchers may still be (ab)using dogs in this project. So please take action now (see below)!

Please write a letter to J. Michael Bishop, Chancellor of UCSF, and demand that the aforesaid experiment on dogs be stopped - because it is UNETHICAL, SCIENTIFICALLY UNSOUND and/or whatever reasons you wish to state - and that the dogs be released to local animal shelters for adoption. Also you may address letters to the Committee on Animal Research (CAR) at UCSF. Addresses follow:

 

J. Michael Bishop, M.D. Committee on Animal Research, UCSF

Chancellor, UCSF Laurel Heights, Suite 315

513 Parnassus Av, S-126 Campus Mail Box 0962

San Francisco, CA 94143 San Francisco, CA 94118

 

Please share any response with Vigil for Animals.

 

Also educate yourself: Take a tour of the website of Americans for Medical Advancement at http://www.curedisease.com or Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine at http://www.pcrm.org

Also, if you have the time, read the book SACRED COWS & GOLDEN GEESE by Jean Greek, D.V.M., and Ray Greek, M.D., to get a "cutting-edge" understanding of the poor science behind the use of animals in experimental research.

 

PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION TO UCSF: UCSF is located at 513 Parnassus Avenue in San Francisco, easily reached by the N Judah streetcar (get off at Arguello, and then walk up the hill to Parnassus) or the the 6-Parnassus bus or 43-Masonic bus, both of which stop in front of UCSF on Parnassus Avenue.

 

Hope to see you at one of the next Vigil-Protrests!

 

Happy Year of the Monkey! May it be a good year for monkeys and all beings!

 

Bob O'Brien

(for the Vigil)

 

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