By allowing pound seizure, we're placing a cheap price on animal life - allowing shelters to serve as discount warehouse suppliers for biomedical research laboratories. Shelters are intended to be protective havens for animals, not commodities brokers for laboratory resources.
Pound seizure is unfair to both companion animals and communities. It violates a public trust that shelters and pounds will provide shelter for animals and either a future with a new owner or a humane death. Citizens might be reluctant to bring in a stray to a shelter knowing that the animal might wind up in a medical experiment, often involving pain and suffering.
There are currently very few states who have banned this practice.It is not something that is advertised blatantly-but it still goes on. You think you are doing the right thing by turning a stray or abused animal over to the shelters,but it is these very shelters who will then send them off to be dissected,poisoned,amputated,and otherwise tortured. There has to be a better way. You can go to aavs.org to see what your state's laws are regarding pound seizures for vivisection.
Here's a scenario for you-say,you go out of town on vacation and your pet somehow gets loose.Someone finds him/her;takes them to the shelter ;and before you get back and claim them(most shelters are only required to keep them for five days) they are shipped off to some research facility and there your precious pet is tortured and abused beyond belief.Personally speaking,I believe they should save this tactic for pedophiles and rapists.
Please join me in writing to your congressman to pass a bill to outlaw this savage and deceptive practice.Make your local shelters a safe haven for pets again.
If you live in one of the states that still permits or mandates pound seizure and would like to see that changed, please go to the Animal Law Resource Center to find a model law which you can download and submit to your state legislator to introduce in your state.
