Unethical surgery on animals and suspicions of trafficking in body parts

Sagarica Rajakarunanayake

Animal Rights: There is an appalling case of unethical and inhumane use of animals by an academic occupying a high seat in the University of Peradeniya.

This case has been reported by the Kandy Association for Community Protection through Animal Welfare (KACPAW) a leading Animal Welfare organisation in Kandy, via e-mail to the Vice Chancellor of the University of Peradeniya, Dean of the Faculty of Veterinary Science and all relevant authorities and committees on Veterinary Science and Bio-Ethics, as well as Animal Rights and Welfare Organisations.

KACPAW states that on May 22 and 23, the academic in question had called on the shelter for homeless dogs run by it in the University premises in Peradeniya and taken three dogs for adoption. He had assured KACPAW that the dogs were being taken to the homes of some of his relatives, as pets.

However KACPAW later learnt that in fact he had taken these dogs straight to the Government Veterinary Hospital at Getambe where extensive invasive surgery was carried out on all three dogs by a veterinary surgeon of this facility.

On being informed that the dogs had been brought to the Veterinary Faculty in a bad condition, a representative of KACPAW rushed there and identified the dogs as those given to the academic from its shelter. She has described the horrendous scene she witnessed of the dogs lying helpless after being extensively cut up for a purpose known only to the academic and the veterinary surgeon that did the 'surgery'.

One dog had both vertical and horizontal incisions across and down her abdomen and nearly 30 stitches. This dog had been opened up twice. Five days afterwards pus and blood were oozing from the incision and the dog was clearly in severe pain.

A senior veterinary surgeon who saw the photographs sent by KACPAW of the dogs cut up, observed: 'This is not a case of surgery on a live animal but more like a case of cut opening a carcass for a post mortem'.

The second dog had apparently had her adrenal glands removed. It had died the next morning. On the orders of the Dean of the Faculty of Veterinary Science the carcass of this animal was exhumed and a post mortem held at the Veterinary Faculty.

Significantly no trace of its kidneys was found among the contents of the abdominal cavity.

The third dog apparently had its pancreas removed and had a huge incision down her abdomen, which was infected.

She had not eaten and was too weak to stand. Her fur was shaved almost up to the spine from both sides of her body and there were cuts, lacerations, and small wounds on the shaved part of her body, obviously inflicted on her during shaving.

KACPAW maintaining the three dogs from their shelter in excellent condition handed over for adoption to the academic after vaccinating against rabies as well as the parvo and distemper viruses. We join KACPAW in demanding to know why these dogs were rushed for emergency operations.

If the operations were for genuine scientific research why did this senior academic resort to deceit to take away the dogs from the dog shelter and subject them surreptitiously to such cruel, inhumane and unethical treatment.

Meanwhile, there is information that 200 dog kidneys had been exported from Sri Lanka. If there is any truth in this it shows that dubious surgery is done on animals, possibly to remove vital body parts for export. This requires official investigation.

We earnestly request the media to give full exposure to this case and ask their own investigative journalists to probe it fully because the public must be made to understand that this is not only a case of the abuse and cruel treatment of animals.

It could well be that inadvertently the lid has come off on the surreptitious conduct of some dubious 'scientific research' promoting the illegal trade in animal organs. It must also be investigated as to whether these organs are to be deceptively used in human or animal transplants.

Therefore, not only the Veterinary Council and the various authorities concerned with Animal Sciences but the Medical Council should also take an interest in this despicable and dangerous development.

The public gaze is now on the Vice Chancellor and the Faculty of Veterinary Science of the University of Peradeniya, to whose notice this matter has been brought to. They must conduct a thorough probe into this matter without showing any leniency to the academic, the veterinary surgeon and any others involved.'

In fact they must play a pro-active role in carrying out the investigations and place any findings before authorities responsible for ethical practice in veterinary science, particularly surgery with dubious purpose.

Both the Medical and Veterinary fraternities should combine to prevent even the least suspicion of a vile trade in body parts be it human or animal, in our country.

The writer is President, Sathva Mithra