Numerous facilities used live animals in their labs as part of their school curriculum but have since opted to spare the animals and utilize other methods of study. The University of Houston has allegedly been found to continue the use of live animals, frequently subjecting them to cruel psychology classroom experiments. Please read more on this issue at the school at http://www.peta.org/action/action-alerts/university-houston-clear-lake-stop-abusing-animals/?utm_campaign=032516%20PETA%20E-News&utm_source=PETA%20E-Mail&utm_medium=E-News
Despite other more humane and modern teaching methods at this school, the university continues to endanger animals through experimentation and other lab work. As indicated in school documents, the rats used are often deprived of food for extreme lengths of time and forced to live in tiny plastic boxes. It is traumatizing for the animals, causing them great distress, fear, pain and anxiety. If the animals are not adopted after they are no longer needed, they are either used for breeding purposes or they are killed and disposed of. Other methods of teaching involves the use interactive computer simulations and train adoptable dogs at a local animal shelter to learn about animal behavior. There are also other methods to teach animal behaviors.
According to the attached article, PETA has received information that the university is also in violation of several issues that included such incidents as: a monkey died of dehydration after a drinking valve had become disconnected and no one noticed, a living mouse was found in a refrigerator intended for dead animals, and a mouse with severe and likely painful swelling of the stomach and inability to access food and water easily was left to suffer for days before finally being euthanized.
The effort in this petition is to encourage University of Houston officials in charge of academic affairs to replace their use of live animals in the classroom and opt for more humane teaching methods. You can help with this issue by signing and sharing this petition, adding your own thoughts and comments.
Janie Graham – Director of Academic Affairs – It is troubling to learn that the University of Houston Clear Lake (UHCL) is still using live animals as part of the school curriculum, subjecting the rats to torment, stress, fear, pain and anxiety. It appears that the Pearland campus uses other more humane, modern methods such as using interactive computer simulations and training sessions with adoptable dogs at a local animal shelter to learn about animal behavior. There many other safer, humane options for teaching rather than using interactive computer simulations and training sessions with adoptable dogs at a local animal shelter to learn about animal behavior. I urge this university to replace the use of live rats for cruel experiments and teaching in any labs and opt for modern, more humane teaching methods ASAP!
