‘No Rescue in Bill to Save Pound Animals’

Frankie L. Trull stated her opinion in her article (Editorial Page, May 3), “There’s No Rescue in Bill to Save Pound Animals.” That’s what she’s paid to do, as the director of an organization formed to promote animal research, the National Assn. for Biomedical Research.

She would have your readers believe that only animal rights proponents oppose the sale of pets from shelters to laboratories for experiments (called pound seizure). She failed to note that 11 states and four Western European countries prohibit pound seizure.

Meanwhile, 250,000 pet dogs and cats will be sold for experiments this year! Although she cited medical breakthroughs allegedly attributed to pet animals, she has failed to provide any research proposals that scientifically require pound or shelter animals. Using such animals with no known medical, genetic or environmental backgrounds is bad science. That’s why a bill proposed by Rep. Robert Mrazek (D-N.Y.) would prohibit our tax dollars from being used as research on pet animals. The bill would not stop research. It would only stop pets being used as research tools.

GRETCHEN WYLER

Studio City