Animal rights activist slams 'secretive' experiments

Proposed multimillion dollar animal shelter draws more criticism

Sandra Thomas, Vancouver Courier
Published: Wednesday, October 29, 2008

A Vancouver animal rights activist believes the city wants to build a new animal shelter in part to expand on a behavioural research experiment performed on dogs at the current shelter in 2004.

According to information obtained through freedom of information requests by East Side resident Donna Liberson, the results of the research were mostly inconclusive. Included in paper work related to the UBC Animal Welfare Research Project are several mentions that lengthier studies are needed to determine if aggressive kennel dogs can be rehabilitated.

"If you're going to experiment on dogs, you can't be secretive about it," said Liberson. "The public paid for it and council must have approved it, though I can't find any record of it being authorized."

The research was organized by UBC animal welfare program graduate student Jane Orihel and was the subject of her thesis for her master of science degree. The object of the research was to determine if rehabilitation can reduce aggression in shelter dogs, particularly towards other dogs. According to the study, adopted dogs showing aggression to other canines is a major reason for people to return them to shelters, and the researchers sought to prevent dogs from being euthanized because of their aggressive behaviour. Rehabilitation involved desensitization by bringing non-aggressive dogs gradually closer; counter-conditioning by training the dog to obey commands when another dog was nearby; positive reinforcement by rewarding the dog for non-aggressive behaviour; and distraction by redirecting the dog's attention when it showed signs of aggression. Half of the dogs underwent the procedures 30 minutes per day for 10 days, while the others dogs had 30 minutes of exercise but no rehabilitation.

According to the study, the optimal number of dogs needed for the research was 16, which Liberson points out is the number of extra kennels the Vancouver Animal Shelter built just before the experiment started. According to paperwork supplied by Liberson, UBC canvassed several animal shelters in 2002 to participate in the experiment. That same year, Nancy Clarke was named new manager of the shelter. In 2003, the animal research team applied for funding for the project, and in the same year city council voted to fund 16 new kennels at a cost of more than $300,000. The UBC animal research team applied to extend its project dates, and in 2004 the kennels were completed and the UBC animal welfare research project began.

Clarke enrolled in the UBC animal welfare program in 2004. In 2005, the thesis was completed and included several mentions of the need for more research, a better facility and an area away from the daily operations of an animal shelter to further conduct a similar study. Later that same year, city council voted unanimously to include $15 million in the 2005-2008 capital plan for a shelter.

Construction of a new shelter was later moved to the 2009-2011 capital plan at a cost of $31 million. After much public criticism, that amount was reduced to $18 million and has been put on hold until a business plan and proposal are completed. The public will vote on the capital plan Nov. 15 during the municipal election. "That's money that's being siphoned from needy projects like community centre renewals," said Liberson. "I'll be voting against the capital plan."

When asked by the Courier if there was a link between the request for a new animal shelter and further research needs, David Fraser, an academic and head of UBC's animal welfare program, laughed out loud. "I would be delighted if research was taken into consideration in the plans for a new animal shelter, but I'm assuming they would have contacted me and that's not the case," said Fraser.

Fraser said research, such as the UBC study, is vital for finding ways to rehabilitate dogs to increase their chances of being successfully adopted. Fraser confirmed more research needs to be completed on rehabilitating aggressive shelter dogs, because the 2005 study wasn't long enough to make permanent behaviour changes in the dogs. But Fraser said such studies are unlikely to continue because money is not available for research on companion animals, an area he believes needs much study.

No one from the city returned phone calls before the Courier's press deadline.