Blogging About Critters Since 2007

Monday, March 23, 2009

FL Animal Control Conducts Bizarre Experiment

News of the Weird

Owners claim dog died from being in non-ventilated Animal Control vehicle. How should Animal Control evaluate their claim? Stick another dog in the same situation and see if it dies too!

It was an "experiment" you see, even though they are just Animal Control, not a research facility.

Clay County violated five federal animal welfare regulations in a in September 2008 experiment that involved putting a dog in a non-air-conditioned truck for an hour at midday, according to a U.S. Department of Agriculture investigative report. The incident prompted complaints to be filed with the Clay County Sheriff's Office and State Attorney's Office, both of which declined to file any charges. In addition, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals filed a complaint with the USDA.

....The dog’s owners said the dog was in the truck too long; a necropsy was inconclusive, but one pathologist said heat and dehydration were likely contributing factors.

To re-create and measure the environmental conditions, Animal Control staff put a dog from the pound, of similar size and weight to the dead dog, in the same holding cage for an hour. Weather conditions were also similar. The temperature did not exceed 86 degrees, the dog was closely monitored and suffered no ill affects, they said.

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