Lab research dogs see the sun and grass for first time

Our second rescue from beagles who have lived their entire
lives inside a research laboratory. These beagles have known nothing except the
confines of metal cages. They have known no soft human touch, no warm bed, no
companionship, no love. They have never been outside or sniffed a tree or grass.
Finally, after years of being poked and prodded, these beagles are FREE! ARME
got the call that a facility was willing to release them to us after they had
been used in several tests. We picked them up on June 8th and now they are all
in loving foster homes, and one has already been adopted. -LL
http://www.beaglefreedomproject.org/
siftbotsays...

Promoting this video and sending it back into the queue for one more try; last queued Sunday, November 27th, 2011 2:20pm PST - promote requested by Boise_Lib.

TheJehosephatsays...

"They have known no soft human touch, no warm bed, no
companionship, no love."

If any of that were true, the dogs would not respond well to the human touch in this video. In fact, they would be somewhat terrified. I am extremely skeptical of the entire description.

Paybacksays...

>> ^TheJehosephat:

"They have known no soft human touch, no warm bed, no
companionship, no love."
If any of that were true, the dogs would not respond well to the human touch in this video. In fact, they would be somewhat terrified. I am extremely skeptical of the entire description.


I have to agree, sounds like they are falling for their own propaganda. I sincerely doubt the scientists, or at least the person who cared for the dogs in the lab, were the heartless monsters they suggest.

I do wonder if they thought this was all another test...

MycroftHomlzsays...

My impression is that biomedical research using a canine models have intensely supervised facilities and have to follow a huge number of regulations. Animal models are a central part of biomedical research. I am as much a dog lover as anyody. But this research is incredibly important for curing degenerative diseases like MS, Parkinsons, etc. Without dogs or animal models medical research would be stuck in the stone ages.

draak13says...

I've done biomedical research on animal subjects...it takes a huge emotional toll.

The idea that these animals are tended to by 'heartless scientists' is usually quite fallacious in modern times. There are some famous cases done more than 50 years ago, at a time where science really was cruel and heartless to human and animal subjects alike.

In academic settings and in modern protocols, the animals are required to be treated as ethically as possible, and third parties are usually present to enforce the ethical treatment. First, it's just not possible to do research on an animal that is not used to human interaction. They need to be as comfortable as they can be with humans; they need to respond well to being handled, or else people can't realistically perform tests on them. Long periods of time are initially spent just handling and playing with the animals.

Human ethics have really come a long way from the time when hippies really did have something to complain about with animal cruelty.

EMPIREsays...

The truth is they are adorable, and looked absolutely miserable when they opened their cages.

edit: If animals are being used in proper medical research (i.e: NOT cosmetics) to develop cures and vaccines for diseases, and as long as they are treated well when they are in the laboratory, I can't really feel too bad about it. It is a necessity, not something done out of cruelty or greed.

MycroftHomlzsays...

Do you have friends that have AIDS or HIV? Do you know someone (or know someone that knows someone) suffering MS? Parkinsons? Dushanes? Has anyone you known every gotten cancer and survived? Are you vaccinated? Do you take antibiotics when you get sick? Do you know anyone who has been the recipient of an organ transplant? Do you upvote Michael J. Fox videos?

Ask yourself these questions before you question how I sleep...

I think it is naive and hypocritical to on one hand use modern medicine and curl the other to a fist to bash its teeth in. You can't have it both ways. Sure it is sad that we have to use animal models. The best we can hope for is that they are treated as humanely as possible and their use is tightly regulated. All of which is true in the current paradigm.

>> ^Kofi:

Whatever helps you sleep at night.

Kofisays...

My best friend has MS. I have a form of Parkinsons. I have had cancer and survived.

I am also studying bioethics at Monash.

Judging by your overly defensive nature even before any retorts you are clearly not at ease with the ethical decisions you have made. I won't lecture you. Rather I will just say that you value certain things above others that have limited ethical grounding.
>> ^MycroftHomlz:

Do you have friends that have AIDS or HIV? Do you know someone (or know someone that knows someone) suffering MS? Parkinsons? Dushanes? Has anyone you known every gotten cancer and survived? Are you vaccinated? Do you take antibiotics when you get sick? Do you know anyone who has been the recipient of an organ transplant? Do you upvote Michael J. Fox videos?
Ask yourself these questions before you question how I sleep...
I think it is naive and hypocritical to on one hand use modern medicine and curl the other to a fist to bash its teeth in. You can't have it both ways. Sure it is sad that we have to use animal models. The best we can hope for is that they are treated as humanely as possible and their use is tightly regulated. All of which is true in the current paradigm.
>> ^Kofi:
Whatever helps you sleep at night.


MycroftHomlzsays...

Someone has to defend science, why not a scientist. For the record, I personally do not use any animal models in my research. I am physicist. Do you take any medication that ameliorates the side effects of Parkinsons?

>> ^Kofi:
I will just say that you value certain things above others that have limited ethical grounding.
>> ^MycroftHomlz:
I think it is naive and hypocritical to on one hand use modern medicine and curl the other to a fist to bash its teeth in. You can't have it both ways. Sure it is sad that we have to use animal models. The best we can hope for is that they are treated as humanely as possible and their use is tightly regulated. All of which is true in the current paradigm.
>> ^Kofi:
Whatever helps you sleep at night.



Asmosays...

>> ^Kofi:

My best friend has MS. I have a form of Parkinsons. I have had cancer and survived.
I am also studying bioethics at Monash.
Judging by your overly defensive nature even before any retorts you are clearly not at ease with the ethical decisions you have made. I won't lecture you. Rather I will just say that you value certain things above others that have limited ethical grounding.


Then there's a pretty good chance that at some point you have taken something that was first tested on animals. While I find the video bittersweet because of what it represents, we all benefit from the involuntary sacrifices these animals are forced to make. It's terribly sad but if we want to continue to benefit from medical discoveries, all we can do is treat them as best as possible and give them the best quality of life before, during and after their terrible but crucial service.

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