I often light folks' fuses by pointing out that the U.S.
Animal Welfare Act does not allow laboratories to keep animals in
conditions as inhumane as those that prevail in many animal "shelters".

The labs at Procter & Gamble & Iams, for example, are
luxury suites compared to the animal housing at about 98% of all the
shelters in the U.S.--and the animals in those labs live a hell of a
lot longer than most of those going to animal control in most cities.

Bottom line: if we want labs to do better, we damned well
better set the example, instead of ass-dragging 10 years behind.

People then fulminate, "How could you say that?"

Is it really that hard to see cold, bare stinking cement and
chain link, and hear the reverberations from a tin roof rattled by
the noise of 50 or 100 terrified dogs?

Ain't nothin' easier to make happy than a dog. If "humane"
people can't even manage that, something is bigtime wrong with their
self-definition.

Cheers,

--
Merritt Clifton
Editor, ANIMAL PEOPLE
P.O. Box 960
Clinton, WA 98236

Telephone: 360-579-2505
Fax: 360-579-2575
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