March 20, 2002

`22’

CRUELTY TO HORSES IN LABORATORY

    The Committee for the Purpose of Control and Supervision of Experiments on Animals (CPCSEA) panel of experts inspected Haffkine Bio-Pharmaceutical Corporation Limited (HBCL), at Pune Maharashtra which manufactures Anti-Snake-Venom Serum from horses’ blood. The panel made the following observations:

  1. The stalls were overcrowded with 3-4 animals in each stall with insufficient protection or cover for the animals.
  2. Bedding was not provided in the stables. Stables were not properly cleaned.
  3. Disinfectants were not being used.
  4. Maintenance and hygiene was extremely poor with stagnating pools of urine/water and uncleaned dung.
  5. The overall animal housing was unclean.
  6. Water tanks and water troughs in the sables were layered with slime.
  7. Cypermethrin (insecticide/pesticide) was being used regularly and casually.
  8. Though the sick bay had rooms for 20 animals, only 9 animals were under treatment although several animals needed acute veterinary care.
  9. There was no provision of a separate room for treatment of animals.
  10. Open paddocks did not have sand baths.
  11. Equines are fed a commercial concentrate equine feed 3-4 kg. per animal daily and 3-4 kg. of Lucerne per animal daily.
  12. No mineral/vitamin supplements were provided. Hay/fodder was given to animals.
  13. Several animals have one or more of the following problems:
    1. Conjunctivitis with lacrimation.
    2. Nodular fibrosed swellings on either side of the neck
    3. Open wounds on legs, shoulder and body.
    4. Swollen fetlock joints and lameness.
    5. Debility.
    6. Dull coat and poor skin condition.
    7. Inflamed knee joints.
    8. Unilateral/bilateral blindness.
  1. In defiance of the CPCSEA Protocol, the HBCL continued to immunize and bleed animals including sick, debilitated and lame animals.

15. HBCL continued to bleed 3-4 percent of the total volume of blood

over a period of 3 days from the same animal while as per the

Protocol two weeks rest is to be given between two bleeds.

16. HBCL continued to bleed injured and blind animals.

17. HBCL continued to use 8-10 gauge needles instead of the

recommended 14 gauge needles

18. Plasmapheresis i.e. mechanical recycling of blood was not being done.

    The expert committee made recommendations to scale down the number of horses./mules to a maximum of 200 considering the infrastructure and personnel available at the institute. They also recommended that Institute be strictly advised to adhere to CPCSEA norms and regulations.