Activists call for an end to U. experiments on dogs

Shouting above the din of barking dogs, Zoe Weil, director of education for the American Anti-Vivisection Society, spoke out against the injustice of using dogs in Medical School classes. "We are here to protest the killing of animals that the University itself admits are unnecessary," she said to a crowd of more than 45 animal rights activists gathered in front of Van Pelt Library Sunday afternoon. "Dog labs aren't even required. Dogs are being killed at the University for no reason." University spokesperson Barbara Beck said last week that University researchers have stopped performing experiments on dogs. But Weil and other activists said they are not willing to stop protesting until written documentation has confirmed the termination of the dog experiments. "Penn hasn't contacted us even though they've said the dogs labs have been discontinued," Weil said. "They've said nothing. Let's make it impossible for the University to back out of this one." After Weil's speech, protesters proceeded to write protest letters addressed to the administration. And even the activists' dogs participated in the protest by signing a blown-up letter to Medical School Dean William Kelley -- with their paw prints. The activists then marched down Locust Walk to Spruce Street and then on to the Medical School. Second-year Medical student Jenny Kapo gave a student's perspective on the unwarranted killings. She said for many students, the educational value of the labs is overshadowed by guilt. Kapo added that there are valid alternatives to the labs such as computer simulators and videotapes of the experiments. "It's an outdated way of teaching anesthesiology. There are new methods," she said. "We could also take notes from students who did attend the labs so we would still do well in the class." Robin Lord, volunteer coordinator for the Fund for Animals and a member of AVVS, said she believes it is very important to inform the public about the injustice. "I hope and believe we can get the public's attention on some of the things that are happening to animals here," she said. "As people become aware of the atrocities, they will speak out against it." According to Dean Smith, Outreach director for AVVS, the University should follow the examples of other prestigious medical schools. "Medical schools like Yale and Stanford have given up their dog labs," he said. "Penn needs to modernize their teaching methods."

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