The Unforgivable Use of Dogs in Experimentation
"Many groups around the world are looking at human heart failure using PET and MRI imagining within real human patients with informed consent.""My professional opinion is [this research] is entirely unnecessary based on what is happening around the world.""There are concerted efforts around the world to shift away from animal testing and as a country we are lagging behind when we should really be a global leader."Charu Chandrasekera, Canadian Centre for Alternatives to Animal Methods"We [have] been working hard to find loving homes for the dogs and pigs at St.Joseph's. We have been in communication with the hospital asking they release the dogs and pigs for re-homing since whistle-blowers reached out to us a couple of months ago.""To date we have not gotten any confirmation they are willing to work with us.""We know a number of dogs have been killed based on information from the whistleblowers."Alanna Devine, lawyer with Animal Justice"[The dogs have shown] troubling repetitive behaviours [such as pacing, tail sucking and repeatedly dunking their faces in water.""[Dogs are heard whimpering and screaming in pain during recovery].""Animal care staff are emotionally devastated when animals they bond with are killed."Animal Justice
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| Photo of puppies in a cage a whistleblower says was taken at the Lawson Research Institute at St. Joseph's Health Care in London. (Contributed) |
News stories have recently surfaced of dogs undergoing experiments for medical research at St. Joseph's Hospital in London, Ontario. Lawson Research Institute -- the research arm of St. Joseph's Health Care London, has for years been secretly experimenting with dogs and pigs in research related to heart attack recovery in humans. Puppies and dogs secured through a U.S.-based breeder have been brought into Canada to be used at the Lawson Research Institute for years in their secret research projects. The practise was recently revealed by a few of the research institute's employees in a whistle-blowing revelation.
Three-hour-long heart attacks have been induced by researchers in the test animals before they are euthanized; their hearts removed for further study, clandestinely reported two staff members. Two reporters with the Investigative Journalism Bureau of the Dalla Lana School of Public Health at University of Toronto wrote up the story through their collaborative investigative newsroom.
Not only are dogs and pigs being subjected to the experiments, but rats as well are subjected to experiments. Pigs are used in wound healing trials, according to the insiders who reveal that the dogs are kept in cages at St. Joseph's -- alone for stretches of 23 hours daily. There was no response to investigative journalists when an interview was requested with Donna Ladouceur, chair of the board at St. Joseph's Health Care London. The hospital's response from its communications department was to the extent that the story published by Postmedia "contains several inaccuracies of fact".
"We are regulated and guided by rigorous policies and procedures for high-quality animal care -- policies and procedures that are directed legislated, monitored and/or enforced by institutional, regional, provincial and national bodies.""Study approvals and grant dollars are allocated only if and after regulatory bodies and a panel of nationally recognized subject experts in the field determine through rigorous review that the research is both necessary and innovative."St. Joseph's Health Care statement
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| Photos of dogs in cages staff say were taken at Lawson Research Institute on the sixth floor of St. Joseph’s Hospital in London, Ont. The dogs brought in from U.S. breeders are as young as 10 months and as old as two years University of Toronto Dalla Lana School of Public Health |
St. Joseph's stated that the canine experiments are done "to accurately image post-heart attack injury and healing that we cannot yet decipher using other models". Animal research, emphasized the hospital, has led to many medical breakthroughs (needless to say most of those cited owe their presence to the distant past):
- Effective treatments for diabetes, leukemia, HIV/AIDS, arthritis, neurological disorders and cardiovascular disease;
- Vaccines for polio, rabies and measles;
- New diagnostic tests for early treatment of cancer and heart disease;
- Surgical techniques in cardiac surgery and organ transplants;
- Bioengineering advances such as stents, pacemakers and joint replacements.
Dogs "are sentient beings who think and feel joy, as well as fear and pain. I commend those whose morals and understanding compelled them to speak out", added Kendra Coulter, professor head of animal ethics and sustainability leadership program at Huron University. The public, on hearing and reading of the situation made a stand on moral and humanitarian grounds, to cease and desist using animal models for experimentation and research. And the swell of public anger gave rise to positive results.
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| People opposing the use of dogs in research at St. Joseph’s Hospital in London take part in a vigil outside the hospital on Saturday, Aug. 9, 2025. (Heather Rivers/The London Free Press) |
"The Government of Ontario is an important partner in every aspect of our work. Following consultations with the province, St. Joseph’s will immediately cease research studies involving dogs.""We acknowledge that this will have a significant impact on the ground-breaking research that has resulted in major strides in cardiac care and treatment, and on the dedicated teams involved in this work."St. Joseph’s Health Care"Ending St. Joseph’s cruel and outdated dog research program is a major victory for the innocent dogs who were forced to endure invasive, painful experiments and death behind closed doors.""These experiments should never have happened in the first place. Animal Justice is now urgently calling on St. Joseph’s to publicly commit to rehoming the dogs who are still alive and still living in cages in the lab.""After enduring so much suffering, they deserve a second chance at life. We urge St. Joseph’s and all other institutions to end the use of animals in experiments and embrace modern, humane science."Camille Labchuk, executive director, Animal Justice
Labels: Dog Experiments, Heart Attack Recovery, Medical Research, Public Backlash, St. Joseph's Health Care London
posted by Pieface @ Tuesday, August 12, 2025
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