STOP DISSECTION OF CATS IN HIGH SCHOOLS

My 16 year old daughter came home from her first day at school in tears. She said they would be dissecting cats in her anatomy and physiology class at Kenwood High School in Baltimore County, MD. I was shocked! I was appalled! I couldn't believe this was true. We have several cats as part of our family. The thought of dissecting these beautiful animals sickened me. I called her teacher to find out where Kenwood was getting their animals. He said they were purchased from Carolina Biological Supply Company, 2700 York Road in Burlington, N.C. This company is the largest supplier of biological "materials" in the world, with 425 employees and annual sales of $25-30 million (1989 figures). They sell a huge range of preserved animals and parts of animals, including cats, dogs, frogs, rabbits, worms, fishes, crabs, scorpions, salamanders, snakes, turtles, chickens, bats, mice, rats, pigs, pigeons, squirrels, muskrats, armadillos, moles, horses, minks, foxes, monkeys, sheep, and cows. CBSC also sells some human brains and body parts.

Federal regulations passed in 1966 specifically to protect animals from theft for use in laboratories, the Animals Welfare Act is the only federal law that provides any protection to live animals destined for dissection. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) investigators at CBSC documented 181 violations of the Act, resulting in a formal complaint to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the agency responsible for enforcing the Act.

PETA assigned two undercover investigators to the case. During their investigation one employee witnessed live cats routinely hooked up to formaldehyde tubes. 3/9/90 and 3/16/90 Cats were also violently poked and prodded with a metal bars to force them from transport cages to a carbon monoxide gassing chamber. 3/23/90 More than 75 percent of the cats are cut open while they are still moving. 3/27/90 Investigators also reported that one cat "had kittens prematurely on the loading dock. They let the kittens out, and they sprayed them with hoses as they walked around the dock. Instead of putting them to sleep, they drowned them. It took them 45 minutes to die."

PETA's documented investigation is available by contacting www.peta-online.org and info@peta-online.org

After reading this horrifying information about Carolina Biological Supply Company I could not believe that Kenwood High School would even do business with a place like that. There are many alternatives to dissection available. The senseless killing of animals is totally unnecessary for the biologically minded pre-college student. Please sign the petition to end all dissection in our classrooms. Our sons and daughters do not need this traumatic or emotionally desensitizing experience. We need to teach respect for life. All life.

For the animals,

Ms. Maria Watson
Baltimore, Maryland


All information in this petition is quoted from a packet I received from PETA, 501 Front Street, Norfolk, VA 23510 (757)622-PETA