Karl, thanks for the comments about euthanized pets in the pet food chain, good points. I’m always happy to be educated, especially on topics like this where barn-high bullshit is thrown around so vigorously. I’m also with you on the research aspect. I know that for most research they want very carefully controled test subjects, which is why they often breed their own (or have breeder suppliers). But never having worked in research, for all I know there is something they can do with random sourced animals. (The wikipedia page also does say that it’s more likely that stolen pets and shelter surrenders are used in dog fighting rings rather than research, and I agree that sounds more likely. Dog fighting isn’t regulated like research is.)
I admit I’m very dubious about animal testing. Not 100% against it, but much of it worries me. Just for example, I learned that retired racing greyhounds were sold to labs for heart pacemaker testing in the early days of pacemakers and this was before the adoption community grew so large. It was either that or euthanize them, which of course they did also. But the dog owners could either dump them at a vet to be killed or sell them to labs and make a little money. Speaking pragmatically and from their perspective here. At the same time, I look into the eyes of my own hounds and shudder at the thought of them being test subjects. I appreciate that we now have good quality heart pacemakers thanks to all of those sacrificed dogs, but… it still makes me sad. I try to be rational, but I’m still human. :o