Not satisfied with telling people what to eat, or manufacturing gory Halloween costumes, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals is now entering the medical field — at least tangentially.
The notorious animal rights group filed a complaint with the state of California alleging dogs at one of America’s largest canine blood banks are being mistreated.
Hemopet, the blood bank operation, countered the claims, saying the dogs are well-cared for, getting regular walks and outdoor time at its 1.5-acre property in Orange County, CA.
Hemopet has operated for decades and says the greyhounds participate in a state-regulated canine blood donor program for about 10 months before being placed in well-screened adoptive homes, reports apnews.com.
“California requires the closed model be used for commercial canine blood banks,” said Hemopet’s President Dr. Jean Dodds. She said she believes pets living in people’s homes would need to be retested for disease before each blood donation to provide a comparable level of safety, and even then it might not be possible to safeguard the supply.
The complaint filed with California’s Department of Food and Agriculture was based on reports from an undisclosed eyewitness, according to PETA.
“She doesn’t put them up for adoption until she is done bleeding them and that is outrageous,” said Lisa Lang, PETA’s senior vice president, referring to Dodds. “They are living, breathing dogs who deserve to live in loving homes like any other,” apnews.com quoted Lang.
“Upon a request for an interview, Hemopet immediately agreed to allow an Associated Press reporter to tour its facility in Garden Grove. Some dogs were kept in crates and cages while others were housed in longer pens in pairs.
Most had blankets and toys and took turns in larger cement yards for recreation. They had a sandy strip for running and a grassy area where volunteer visitors walked them. One dog had a neck bandage from where blood had been drawn. None of the dogs seen by an AP reporter showed any visible signs of distress,” said the apnews.com report.
Perhaps PETA would be better served cleaning up its own act and addressing its notorious kill shelters instead of filing fictitious claims against properly run facilities.
