North Utah Valley Animal Shelter Sells Pets For Experimental Purpose

by Elisa Black-Taylor
(USA)

I personally hate the odds that an animal faces when turned into a shelter. We hear about the adoption to euthanazia ratio and wonder what could possibly make this situation worse. Tonight I found what I consider far worse than euthanasia.

I thought I’d reached my limit with my last article on laboratory pets being abused in North Carolina. In a way I was wrong. Actually, I did reach my limit with that one. But animal lovers also need to know about this one. North Utah Valley Animal Shelter (NUVAS) in Lindon, Utah is selling shelter dogs and cats for animal experimentation to to the University of Utah. They are the only shelter in Utah to do this1.

One form of torture performed on these former shelter pets is to implant a pacemaker for the purpose of giving the animal an irregular heartbeat. The animal is then killed and dissected to document the so-called information gathered from the experiment. These animals had holes cut into their chests and necks where the surgery was performed.

I know medical experiments have to be performed on something, but to use shelter pets leaves me speechless. Correct me if I’m wrong, but aren’t taxpayers dollars used to help support the running of a shelter? And isn’t the whole point of a shelter to find a loving home for the strays and unwanted pets in their care? It burns me up to think of this shelter making an additional profit by selling the dogs and cats for scientific research. Listed below is all of their contact information.

I’m not including a petition in this one as I feel real letters, emails, faxes and phone calls will do far more good in changing their minds about the way they do business. Here are the contact details:

North Utah Valley Animal Shelter
193 North 2000 West
Lindon, Utah 84042

Director: Tug Gettling
Email: to********@or**.org to********@or**.org
Phone: (801) 785-3442
Fax: (801) 785-0514

I’ve looked at the website for North Utah Valley Animal Shelter. I’d like for everyone to check it out. There are a few things there that concern me because I’ve never seen them before.

Take a look at the impound fees and animal surrender fees. They may think they’re doing a good job in charging for these services. After all, won’t “bail money” to get a pet out of shelter jail or turn one into a shelter deter people from bringing them to shelters?

I’ve done several fundraising articles to spread the word on how shelters can raise money. I do these so shelters can make improvements and I also love to write good news where animals are treated with respect and given a chance for a new life.

I don’t like the idea of a shelter charging these fees when there are better options out there. With today’s economic situation, it could make the difference in bailing out a pet or losing it. It will also increase the number of dogs and cats who will be abandoned instead of turned into shelters. I grew up in the day when people cared for animals that just showed up at their homes. This included dogs. The world just doesn’t work that way anymore.

I realize I’ve gotten a little off track, so back on track to finish this.

P.E.T.A. discovered the NUVAS situation while conducting an undercover investigation on the University of Utah and discovered 100 animals had been purchased from shelters by the University of Utah. Two were cats named Angel and Libby. They’re alive because of P.E.T.A.

Demonstrations are being held at the North Utah Valley Animal Shelter and pamplets handed out warning informing visitors of how they treat unwanted pets.

Shame on this shelter. And any other out there like you. Please feel free to respond to this article. I’d love to hear why you think animal torture is okay.

I know somebody will probably make a comment on how a pacemaker will be tested if not on an animal. I don’t know the answer to that. I don’t know the answers to a lot of things I write about. But to sell a shelter pet when you’re being partially funded by taxpayers and partially funded by dog and cat “bail” well… just SHAME ON YOU!

Any shelter that has to resort to this should read up on fundraising events. I’ve written enough of them. Start reading and stop this madness.

Readers, please do what you can to put an end to selling shelter pets for science. I’d also like to thank P.E.T.A. for such a good job they’re doing this year and bring these abusers to our attention.

I’d also like to thank everyone at pictures-of-cats for supporting me in my fight to end the pain for animals. I’d like to let everyone know I still write on dogs and those articles can be found under Elisa Taylor on hubpages.com.

My cat stories will always be on Pictures-of-cats.org because the readers here really know how to put the word out.

I do have a few “good news” cat stories waiting to be written. I’ve started two of them. The bad news just keeps finding me first and the good news articles are placed on the back burner. Which I think is sad. My job is to educate, not depress people.

Elisa

Sources:

1. http://ourcompass.wordpress.com/2010/09/03/north-utah-valley-animal-shelter-sells-animals-for-vivisection/.

http://headovmetal.posterous.com/animal-shelter-sells-animals-to-labs-for-expe

http://ourcompass.wordpress.com/2010/09/03/north-utah-valley-animal-shelter-sells-animals-for-vivisection/

Comments for
North Utah Valley Animal Shelter Sells Pets For Experimental Purpose

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Two useful tags. Click either to see the articles: Toxic to cats | Dangers to cats
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Dec 01, 2010
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Animal Testing
by: Anonymous

I don’t know what to think because i feel bad for the animals especially since most of the times the animals are dying for nothing. Since sometimes a drug could work on the animal but be a fail on the human. But animal testing has helped us in the long run.


Nov 01, 2010
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CENTER FOR CONSUMER FREEDOM INFO
by: Anonymous

A front for corporate interests

The so-called Center for Consumer Freedom (CCF), founded by Washington lobbyist Richard Berman and his firm Berman & Co., is an industry front for tobacco, alcohol, and agribusiness interests. The group’s stock-in-trade involves malicious attacks on organizations that promote food safety, public health, or animal welfare.

It was started with a $600,000 grant from tobacco giant Phillip Morris. In the pay and in the pocket of corporate special interests that profit from animal cruelty, CCF has always sought to thwart The HSUS’s work to combat factory farming, puppy mills, the Canadian seal slaughter, commercial whaling, and other large-scale cruelties. Among other targets, CCF has also attacked Mothers Against Drunk Driving and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for their anti-drunk driving and public health campaigns.


Oct 15, 2010
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The update
by: Elisa Black-Taylor

All I use PETA for is the updates they send out by email. I don’t approve with a lot they do either but the are good at getting the word out about different things.


Oct 15, 2010
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Really..?
by: Anonymous

I think it is time to educate people. I am so tired of PETA playing out to be some glorious organization and others to be monsters.. Don’t get me wrong, I do think that some of the things PETA has done and some of the organizations that it has stopped have been in good means, however, there are two sides to ever story… and here are some facts about PETA that they fail to mention..

**In 2009 PETA euthanized 97% of the animals they had in their custody! ( they only adopted eight animals — out of the 2366 it took in.)

**A PETA co-founder Alex Pacheco said, “We feel that animals have the same rights as retarded children”.. (wow – really?!) **PETA continually Funds the “Animal Liberation Front” which the FBI calls ALF and ELF the nation’s “most serious domestic terrorism threat.”.

** PETA has a group of Physicians, “Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine” – which in all reality, less than 5 percent of these members actually have any type of medical degree. **PETA spends less than one percent of its multi-million dollar budget actually helping animals.

**Bill Maher, an endorser for PETA said, “To those people who say, `My father is alive because of animal experimentation,’ I say `Yeah, well, good for you. This dog died so your father could live.’ Sorry, but I am just not behind that kind of trade off.”

**The PRESIDENT of PETA, Ingrid Newkirk, said “Our nonviolent tactics are not as effective. We ask nicely for years and get nothing. Someone makes a threat, and it works.” ** Also people, if you Google PETA and look at the images – the first SEVEN pages are related to pornographic material – is this really an organization that seems respectable?!

** PETA’s president has said that “even if animal research resulted in a cure for AIDS, we would be against it.” (Does everyone realize that 1 out of every 2 African’s die from Aid’s? And you don’t think that is worth fixing?)

** PETA discourages Americans from making donations to health charities like the American Heart Association, the American Cancer Society, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, the American Foundation for AIDS Research, the Christopher Reeve Paralysis Foundation, the American Red Cross, and even Boys Town. All because they support research that requires animals, in order to cure human diseases.

*If you ask my opinion, PETA is no different than the 6th grade bully in elementary school who is picking on the 3rd grader. Stand up what you believe in, but harming people or property in the process is immature and not respectable in my mind. Really people you should stop believing everything you read and do some research.. Look into things before you assume. http://www.consumerfreedom.com/downloads/reference/docs/200810_CCF_7Things_PETA.pdf


Sep 21, 2010
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Something else you can do
by: Ruth

Many charities and charity shops fund animal experiments,they are too numerous to list here and I don’t of course know the ones in the USA.
So if you seriously want to help stop this uneccessary cruelty, before donating to any charity ensure your money isn’t going to pay for instruments of torture and to pay lab workers for using them.
You can check on the internet easily if they are ‘good guys’ or ‘bad guys’ by doing a google search or you can ask the charity directly.
If we all only support non animal testing charities the ‘bad guys’ will soon get the message that in these days of alternatives torturing animals will not be tolerated any longer.


Sep 18, 2010
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Selling pets
by: Anonymous

Send copies of this article to the Salt Lake Tribune and the paper of the nearest big city to Lindon {probably Logan} It is a disgrace, many shelters charge reasonable fees because they get little help from city or county, but this is highway robbery and murder


Sep 18, 2010
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Selling pets
by: Anonymous

Send copies of this article to the Salt Lake Tribune and the paper of the nearest big city to Lindon {probably Logan} It is a disgrace, many shelters charge reasonable fees because they get little help from city or county, but this is highway robbery and murder


Sep 18, 2010
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animal experiments
by: Anonymous

Animal experiments are not only unethical they are UNRELIABLE.
Do you know that 80% of drugs tested on animals fail miserably when tested on people? because YOU ARE NOT A CAT OR A DOG OR A GUINEA PIG.

Using animals in experiments is outdated bad science
It doesn’t matter if they are from a pound or bred for use in experiments it is immoral.


Sep 17, 2010
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North Utah Valley Animal Shelter Sells Pets For Experimental Purpose
by: BJ

This is animal abuse in it’s worst form and must be stopped.

All these kinds of shelters are just out to get all the money they can.

There needs to be laws passed to make these kinds of experiments criminal acts with jail time.

Good work Eliza.


Sep 17, 2010
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I’m against
by: Elisa Black-Taylor

I’m totally against animal testing. And I do plan to research the subject more. Like I said, I don’t know all the answers. I’m curious on whether computer testing can be done on pacemakers. I may do an entire story on the alternatives to animal testing. There are probably others out there who don’t know other ways to test medical devices.

I commented a few hours ago and it never posted so this is my second try at this one.


Sep 17, 2010
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I’m Against
by: Elisa Black-Taylor

I’m very much against animal testing. And I do need to do more research to find out the options. Since there are options to cosmetic testing, there must be options to pacemaker testing. I’ll find them and perhaps do an article on it and educated those as ignorant on the subject as I am.

Like I said, I don’t have all the answers


Sep 17, 2010
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There you go again
by: Anonymous

To quote
“I know medical experiments have to be performed on something”
NO THEY DO NOT
For God’s sake do some more research into this topic.
You can not sit on the fence.
Make your mind up for or against laboratory experiments.
If you are for then there is no difference whether shelter animals or any other animals are the ones used.


Sep 17, 2010
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Needs Told!
by: Dee

This story needed to be told! This is cruel!


Sep 17, 2010
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The new ERA arrives in the US
by: ronald eenwerd

I am one of the 7 new ERA promoters in the world. 6 of the promoters are independent from mem but I can tell you their names where they live at what target group they are promotimg this new ERA, and how influential they are all targeted on your US.

Ands we arrive there already with own sites.

So the new ERA will fast through the whole US come.

One of our gaols in protecting nature with all animals also all animals living in houses.


Sep 17, 2010
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End this practice
by: Anonymous

I hope action can be taken to end this practice, but I wouldn’t want PETA running our local shelter either.

“…This is about something truly insidious. This is about a bully who seeks out animals to kill.”

http://www.nathanwinograd.com/?p=907


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