Imagine a team of scientists working on a cure for cancer. They find something, but they need 100 test subjects before sending their findings to the Food and Drug Administration. So they use animals sold by shelters such as the Ingham County Animal Shelter to dealers who then sell it to the researchers.
This situation resembles why some Ingham County residents are up in arms. About 50 people protested the treatment of animals by the Ingham County Board of Commissioners on Tuesday. Residents say the board holds animals at the county shelter for only the minimum number of days and proceeds to sell them to Class B dealers, who in turn sell them to hospitals and research facilities, turning in a large profit.
As much as we'd like to say the above situation is cruel, researchers need to perform medical tests. The board of commissioners is doing its job by sending unwanted animals to a home instead of being euthanized, but it should consider lowering the price of adoptions so more animals can be sent to households.
The reality is most of the animals that end up in the county shelter are old, sick, not owned or all three. The board's first priority should be finding a home for these animals. The best home is, of course, of a person or family to take care of the animal.
That's why the board should consider lowering the price for an individual or family to adopt a dog or cat. The county shelter sells the animals to Class B dealers and researchers for $10, while people pay more than $30 for a pet, its vaccinations and tags. Realistically, there needs to be a charge handed down by the county for the cost of housing the animals, but even a small discount would help a lot of animals find homes. This would also help the problem of overcrowding and the danger of euthanizing too many animals. Close behind a home life for animals, however, is a facility that conducts research for the greater good of society.
People think these animals are being sent to Revlon so they can have lipstick gouged into their eyes. They aren't. But if some dogs and cats aren't handed over to scientists, how would treatments for fleas and heartworms be developed?
It's easy to think the shelter could hold animals indefinitely until someone comes to adopt them. But there is limited space, and it costs money to house them. Money for housing too many animals translates to an unfair burden on taxpayers. Maybe concerned residents could be rallying behind a campaign to increase funding to the shelter through taxes instead of protesting its animals being sent to research facilities.
It's better animals be sent to research facilities than euthanized to make room for others being taken in. If the county stopped putting stray animals into the shelter, they could crowd the streets and cause problems for residents.
The bottom line is the board of commissioners needs to do something with animals that end up in the shelter. To see more animals end up in homes, the board should consider lowering prices for families.
And if you think it's terrible to see a puppy or kitten sent off for research, remember this: It's better that an animal be used for testing and die for a cause instead of dying in a shelter serving no better purpose for society.
