Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1962-07-06

Pennsylvania is astounded.
On March % he introduced
bill for the humane treat
ment Of experimental ami
mails and ever since, he says,
he has been receiving letters
of condemnation from mem
bers of the medical profess
sion.
1t seems ineonceivable that
men engaged in trying to al
leviate the suffering of man
kind should object to hu-
name treatment of any living
thing.
A Philadelphia doctor
wrote him that it would lin
woke undue hardships on
academic investigators" and
extend "unwarranted police
power to the Secretary OF
Health, Education and We'll
fare"
Frankly, this columnist, a
dog lover, thinks if it takes
police power to keep people
from being cruel to animals,
it's time we had it. After all,
it took a Federal law to keep
adults from working little
children long and tedious
hours.
ANOTHER DOCTOR
WROTE him. You are liable
to become associated with
the lunatic fringe as repre-
sented by antivivisection."
This, it seems, is about as
far from the point as one
can get. Whether you are
Mortified at the thought of
animals being experimental
on, or think it is a necessity
for medical progress. how can
you argue against treating
them humanely whatever
the situation?
MRS. MIKE MONRONEY,
wife of the Oklahoma Sena-
tor and chairman of WARDS
welfare of animals used in
research, drugs and surgery I,
said yesterday, II know that
animals are going to be used
and since they are, the least
we can do is see that they
have proper housing and
care. Since they are giving
their lives to help humanity,
why can't humans make
them comfortable while they
go through these expert
mentS?"
The doctors who write in
that the animals are getting
humane care simply haven't
investigated the animal lab
oratories around the country.
They should talk to Mrs.
Roger Stevens. president Of
the Animal Welfare Institute;
Mrs. Monroney, Mrs. Peyton
Halves Dunn, executive secre-
tary of WARDS. or myself, a
member of the WARDS COM
mittee.
CHRISTINE STEVEN S
whose husband is head OF the
National Cultural Center
could and would tell them OF
the failure to anesthetize
dogs while inflicting burns
on one-third of their bodies
and then letting them die
afterwards in misery; of rab-
bits in such small cages they
can only crouch; of a kitten
with a broken paw nobody
bothered to fix though it hac
undergone a head operation
for the sake of humanity; OF
an old, half blind spanie
that had undergone major
surgery being hosed down anc
left soaking wet and trem.
bling: Of the unframed. UNI
concerned caretakers whC
allow these things frequentl!
with the approval of the
scientists.
MRS. DUNN could also tel
them of the unbelievable
callousness of animal research
centers where cages upor
cages of dogs are stacked un
der scorched roofs in thu
summer, in unheated place
in the winter, of emaciatet
starved dogs in cages.
I can tell them as an ey
witness here in Washington
of dogs in nothing but wir
cages not big enough TO
them to stand up straight o
move in except to go arount
in circles; cages that have NJ
runways yet the only hom
the dog has until he die
maybe not for eight years.
To walk by these cage
and see these dogs wag thei
tails, still hoping for som
sign of affection from human
beings who have treated then
this way. is a heartbreakinl
experience.
One wonders how tn
Health Subcommittee of tn
Senate can postpone for
moment Senator Clark's re
quest for hearings on hi
bill and let this sufferin
continue. The Senator !
willing to amend his bill t
satisfy the doctors who thin
it might demand too nue.
paper work of them. And
should be amended to provid
for a National Institute fo
Laboratory Animal Care, say
Mrs. Dunn, that would in
struct, inspect and enforc
the proper treatment.
But unless the men on tn
Hill have the courage to hol
the hearings and weathe
the screams from opposin
groups in the country to Civ
us a law as good as Gres
Britain's, they can ceas
thinking of this country as
humane nation, say tn
women of WARDS.