KANSAS CITY, Mo.: The University of Missouri is defending its research practices after a national pet-adoption group publicly decried an experiment that led to the euthanization of six female beagles.
The California-based Beagle Freedom Project, which is suing the university system over $82,000 in fees it says it is being charged for an open-records request, said it learned of the dogs’ deaths after happening upon a published study about treatment for damaged corneas.
As detailed in April in the Journal of Veterinary Ophthalmology, the study said roughly 1-year-old beagles had their left eyes intentionally damaged while they were anesthetized. Half of the animals then were given a topical acid treatment to determine if that healed the eye damage; it didn’t, and the dogs eventually were put to death.
Kevin Chase, vice president of the BFP, which rescues former research animals ranging from ponies to goldfish for adoption, called Mizzou’s experiment “a colossal failure” and “cruel,” noting the “cornea’s top layer is filled with thousands of tiny nerve endings.”
The university issued a statement saying the beagles were anesthetized during the procedure and were given pain medications if any discomfort was evident.