Activist fights ban at UCC
by Neans McSweeney
AN animal welfare activist, who has been denied access to kennels where dogs used for medical experiments are believed to be housed, wants the Department of Health to intervene to ensure the animals are being humanely treated.
Inspector Ted O’Connor vowed to take whatever steps are necessary — including legal action — to ensure he gets access to hounds used in experiments at University College Cork.
“Never before have I been refused access to a property. The college authorities won’t even tell me where these kennels are. The college was buying dogs in from a kennel abroad where there were difficulties. Now it claims its own kennels are closed and it is keeping the animals elsewhere. But despite repeated requests, they won’t tell me where the animals are,” said Cork Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals official.
Each college which carries out experiments has to be licensed by the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Health, said a UCC spokesperson. “Everything here is strictly regulated and controlled and we have a vet on call for any medical issues ...
Our facilities are continuously inspected and all rules and regulations are adhered to.”
City councillor Con O’Leary said he would ask Cork Corporation to get an order to compel UCC to allow access to the inspector.
© The Examiner, 1999