A recent and disturbing investigation shows that the US Department of Agriculture is euthanizing kittens after they’re no longer needed. In a nutshell, kittens are being used for parasite research, and then, instead of being put up for adoption, they are being killed.
According to the Huffington Post, the USDA says that adopting the kittens would “create a biohazard.”
The Research Has Gone on Since 1982
Since 1982, cats have been used for research on a parasite called the Toxoplasma gondii parasite. Documents obtained by the White Coat Waste Project, which “fights taxpayer-funded animal testing”, show that the kittens are being euthanized after their role in the White Coat Waste project is over.
The Huffington Post, however, reports the White Coat Waste Project as citing information by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that show adopting the children would not pose a health hazard.
Justin Goodman, the vice president of advocacy and public policy for the White Coat Waste Project, tells the Huffington Post, “The USDA’s claim that it isn’t safe to adopt out the cats is patently false.” Goodman used information from the Center for Disease Control to support his argument and said that cats can only transmit the parasite to humans for up to three weeks after being infected.
Veterinarian and “The Pet Show” host Katy Nelson corroborated Goodman’s statements, saying “there is no reason why these kittens could not be adopted out.”