New Cleveland billboards protest animal testing at local medical center
CLEVELAND (WJW) – The Cleveland VA Medical Center is finding themselves at the center of a controversy big enough for a billboard or two.
Justin Goodman, a member of The White Coat Project, specializes in ending those government backed experiments altogether.
“Our organization is committed completely to ensuring that taxpayers aren’t forced to fund these cruel, outdated and wasteful experiments,” said Goodman.
Former East Cleveland police chief pleads guilty: I-Team
Based in D.C., the group is taking their fight to Northeast Ohio with two new billboards.
The signage posted in two Cleveland locations is asking President Joe Biden to stop what they say is the Cleveland VA Medical Center’s upcoming project involving the purchase and experimentation on seven cats for medical research.
“The VA’s documents that we obtained via the Freedom of Information Act show that the experiments are invasive, incredibly painful and might kill the cats involved,” said Goodman.
The battle between The White Coat Project and the Cleveland VA Medical Center goes back years.
“Back in 2016, we actually uncovered that the Cleveland VA was one of the last government labs experimenting on dogs and cats,” said Goodman.
Goodman’s team started a campaign to end the testing, eventually helping pass legislation on Capitol Hill that will halt government funding of all experiments on animals by 2026.
FOX 8’s Stefani Schaefer reflects on long-time friendship with Eric Carmen
Now, Goodman claims the Cleveland VA is trying to rush through their final experiments before funding runs out.
“Bad habits are hard to break and the Cleveland VA has been experimenting on dogs and cats for decades and that’s all they know.”
FOX 8 received the following statement from the Cleveland VA:
“VA undertakes research using sensitive species, including felines, only when absolutely necessary to fulfill our vital mission to care for those who have served in our military. In this case, the research aims to restore touch to U.S. Veterans who lost limbs defending our nation.
“VA is committed to efforts to reduce or eliminate the use of dogs, cats and non-human primates in our research. Cats will not be euthanized as part of this study, and each cat will be paired with a forever home.
“The work with adult cats was found to be necessary, as there is no other viable model available. In this situation, cats are ideal for testing the durability of the new high-density connectors because the cat torso is approximately the girth of a human limb, and cats have a naturally athletic temperament. For example, cats enjoy running, jumping and stretching. This will allow us to ensure that the channel connectors are sufficiently robust to be implanted into Veterans who will benefit from the device.
“After 6 months of painless observation and evaluation, the cats in this study will have the implants removed and will then be placed in forever homes. The study in question allows us to fulfill our obligation to Veterans while ensuring that the retired laboratory cats are subsequently placed in forever homes, something the Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center has successfully done in the past.”
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Fox 8 Cleveland WJW.
