June 11, 2004

Dear Nancy and Paul,

I am hoping you can address our concerns regarding the Joint Research Project between the Vancouver City Pound and UBC's Animal Welare program we express in the attached letter.

Judy Stone

ANIMAL ADVOCATES SOCIETY OF BC

June 11, 2004

Paul Teichroeb,
Director of Licenses,
Nancy Clay,
Manager, Animal Control Services,
City of Vancouver

Re: Joint VCP/UBC Dog Aggression Project

First, Do No Harm

While generally attributed to Hippocrates as advice to physicians, the dictum "first, do no harm" is surely good advice to all who control the fate of sentient beings. The Vancouver City Pound is currently allowing a UBC Masters student to conduct an experiment using
the dogs in its control.

The project, entitled "A Rehabilitation Program for Dogs with Inter-dog Aggression in Animal Shelters", is hardly ground-breaking science. The experiment is designed to test whether dogs kept isolated in kennels for 23.5 hours per day fare better or worse than dogs socialized with daily behavior modification sessions.

Funded by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, the project seems to ask a question that a simple Google search shows has been answered repeatedly by others. As a matter of fact, I believe the UBC student would have a hard time finding
anyone who would not predict that behavioral intervention is more helpful to dogs than isolation.

The most disturbing part of this experiment is its design. Dogs involved are divided into three groups.

Group 1 receives rehabilitation with behavior modification.

Group 2 receives the care that is the current standard of practice at the Vancouver Pound, including exercise and walks.

Group 3, however, receives care that is intentionally below the Pound's own standards.

Group 3 is disingenuously called the "control" group, purportedly comparable to normal
practice at other pounds.

This means, for example, that a dog that has been at the shelter for months, has been taken on walks, played with, and has been introduced to other dogs, may find itself suddenly and inexplicably imprisoned in a kennel for 23.5 hours each day. The experimental procedure specifies "Dogs are not to receive any other interaction or activities other what is specified" (sic).

It is frankly outrageous that the Vancouver City Pound would allow dogs in its control to be treated worse than their current standard of practice dictates.

If our federal tax dollars are to be spent in these spurious pursuits, then it would be far better for UBC to partner with a pound where the standard of care is already as low as that mandated by their "control" activity schedule. At least then, dogs, and perhaps
pound staff, would benefit in addition to the Masters student.

Please assure AAS that this project will be either cancelled or rewritten to address the concerns we have raised.

Joann Bessler, M.Sc.
AAS Research Director

We did not receive an answer.