University of Missouri-Columbia Researchers Blinded Six Beagle Puppies, Killed Them After Failed Study

By their own admission, researchers “knew the study was bound to fail,” says attorney for the Beagle Freedom Project.

Warning: The contents of this story may be upsetting to some readers.

Six beagle puppies were blinded and killed by University of Missouri-Columbia researchers following their expectedly-inconclusive research study on corneal healing.

The results of the research study were published in the 2016 Journal of Veterinary Ophthalmology, RawStory reports. The study results detail that the puppies were blinded in their left eyes in order to attempt to restore their sight, as well as determine the effects of an experimental drug on the cornea. The puppies were between nine and twelve months old.

Dan Kolde, an attorney for the advocacy group Beagle Freedom Project, told the Riverfront Times that researchers, by their own admission, “knew the study was bound to fail.” He cited that “as the study notes, ‘Prior to initiation… it was determined that 12 animals per group would be required to detect a clinically significant difference in healing rates.’”

Despite this, the puppies were separated into study groups of three each, as “… a study size of 24 dogs was deemed impractical given concerns of animal resources for this pilot study.”

Kolde was horrified enough by the methodologies used in the study, but perhaps even moreso, horrified at the decision to kill the puppies rather than work with his group. “We would have found them homes,” he said. “The Beagle Freedom Project would have happily taken these dogs.”

University of Missouri-Columbia’s Executive Director for its News Bureau, responsible for the university’s Administration, Athletics and Minority Affairs, defended the study to the Riverfront Times via an emailed statement. It read that “without animal research, we would not be able to answer some of the most important medical questions,” citing that “since dogs share similar eye characteristics with people, they are ideal candidates for corneal studies.”

The statement further indicated that because of studies such as these, “veterinarians have provided vital information to physicians and veterinarians treating corneal injuries – which ultimately benefit other dogs, animals and humans.” This includes, apparently, “U.S. veterans who have sustained corneal injuries while defending our country.”

The Riverfront Times noted that Banken did not respond to a follow-up question asking for a second time why the beagles couldn’t be rehomed, but The New York Daily News received the same initial emailed statement upon inquiry. 

The New York Daily News further reported that after the six puppies were killed, “the damaged eyes [were] removed and stored for future research.”

As of May, the university held 179 dogs and cats for research purposes. Attorney Dan Kolde, on behalf of the Beagle Freedom Project, has filed suit against the university for attempting to charge the non-profit organization $82, 222 to provide them with records related to care of the 179 animals. (They are required to maintain these records under the Missouri Sunshine Law.)

“$12 billion in taxpayer money goes to these big institutions for this kind of research,” Kolde told the Riverfront Times. “And this is an attempt to dodge their responsibility to the public.”

 

Image by Helena Volkova via Flickr and a CC license