Feb15
Abuse at Ross Veterinary School?
Posted at 03:58 PM | Permalink
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Comments (8)
We sent this letter to the St. Kitts Attorney General yesterday urging him to immediately investigate the “teaching” procedures being performed on dogs, donkeys, and sheep at Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine, which is owned by Chicago-based DeVry, Inc. (of late-night TV commercial fame). We’re also calling for prosecution of any school officials who are found to have been violating the island’s cruelty-to-animals statutes.
All this got set into motion when we received numerous photographs documenting the mutilation of animals who are forced to undergo multiple surgeries before they are killed and cut apart. The key points to remember here are that a) there are numerous humane alternatives to the tests conducted at Ross, and b) it is illegal to cause "unnecessary suffering" to animals under St. Kitts law. As it should be. Here’s what PETA’s research director told the media today:
"Ross University is forcing its students—men and women who will devote their lives to healing animals—to maim and kill dogs and other animals in unnecessary, painful procedures. We're asking the attorney general to help students and animals by enforcing St. Kitts' anti-cruelty laws."
If you’d like write to the veterinary school about this issue, you can do so through the handy webform here.
TAGGED:
veterinary ross school st. kitts
Comments
Thank you PETA for not villinizing vets along the way. Most vet professionals must choose: either remain as an assistant, earning $7 and hour with no health insurance, AND not be allowed to do anything but take out the trash while at the clinic -
OR, become a vet tech, or dream job of veterinarian. In order to do so we are often required to enter a program where animals are kept in lousy conditions at best, and we are required to torment and destroy perfectly healthy animals at worst.
We were told in the vet tech program that if we did not destroy certain healthy animals like we were required to, they would be destroyed immediately anyway.
Ideally the programs would take in shelter animals (ours did) and only use them for experience with spay / neuter and preventative care, then adopt them out and get even more shelter animals and continue during the semester.
But our program also had rabbits (the head of the program would rescue unwanted rabbits) which was nice, but instead of finding them new homes they were forced to live in cages at the school their whole lives. They were unhealthy and miserable. Not good.
Posted by: Maya, C.V.T. | February 16, 2008 12:23 PM
You'd think DeVry, which touts itself as offering advanced theoretical and practical knowledge, would insist on only the most current teaching methods in veterinary science.Thanks PeTA for calling attention to the helpless victims in St.Kitts.
Posted by: lynda downie | February 18, 2008 03:25 AM
We took in a 3 week old homeless kitten 1 1/2 years ago. When it came time to have him fixed we called our vet and made an appt. We had no idea our vet had taken in a new vet.
When we went to drop off our cat we were surprised to find the doctor was a SHE and that she had only been working for our vet for a few weeks. Our vet was out of the office that day and the new vet had been scheduled to do the operation.
Something told me then to leave, but I didn't.
When we went to pick up our cat he was in shock. The new vet had done a botch job on our cat. It took him weeks to recover.
The new vet had left right after the operation and no one was around but some dumb girl. It took us all day to reach the vet. By that time we had stablized our cat and were giving him antis that we kept on hand.
It took him at least 3 weeks before he could get up on the couch. For 2 weeks he tried to pull himself up but it hurt him to bad. His nose, which is normally pink, was pale white for at least 3 weeks.
As we were leaving the vets office my husband read the new vet's diploma. As soon as we got home I looked it up on the Internet and found it was a crappy school.
This is what you get when you let someone who has gone to a cheap shcool work on your pets.
For all you people out there with pets, if a new vet works on your animal make sure you know where he/she studied. Stay away from schools outside the US.
Posted by: Maggy | February 18, 2008 04:09 PM
I wish one day animals do the same for you.You are not humanbeings.
There are methods whitout using any animal,but you don't have heart to do it.
SHAME ON YOU!!!
minttu alander fron finland,helsinki
Posted by: minttu alander | February 18, 2008 07:54 PM
What do more reputable vet schools do? Do they have students learn surgery only on animals that actually need the procedures or do they use dead animals? In medical school, cadavers are often used, so surely vets could learn without operating on live animals that don't need it. And I wouldn't think it would be hard to get already-dead animals to use.
Posted by: Mabel | February 19, 2008 01:27 PM
There need to be more good vet schools.
But the veterinary trade keeps numbers of graduates kept to a minimum to INCREASE PROFITS FOR THE VETERINARY TRADE.
Fewer vets, less competition.
Animals are hurt by this, but the veterinarian business gets more cash.
And thus vets can get away with charging $250 for a cat spay. Ridiculous.
Posted by: kelly | February 19, 2008 07:02 PM
Joy,
Although I don't agree with Peta on this and think that there is nothing wrong with future vets learning by working on animals that otherwise would die or that are already dead, it is ridiculous for you to invoke the 1st Amendment in the context of this message board. Peta is not the government (thank the heavens) and therefore doesn't have to allow you free speech or access to their message board. Of course, it looks like Peta does post all comments, but it just takes time for the comments to show up. Nevertheless, if Peta chose not to post your comments, that would have no 1st Amendment implications whatsoever. Before you throw around accusations, get the facts straight. After all, isn't that what Peta has done and what you are speaking out against?
Posted by: Larry | February 21, 2008 02:37 PM
Melody Kerber, if you think veterinarians should automatically be "allies", you really need to read "Slaughterhouse" by Gail Eisnitz.
Posted by: Michele | February 21, 2008 09:20 PM