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Ohio State University veterinarian Michael Podell is currently conducting inhumane and unnecessary experiments on cats. These experiments involve killing 120 domestic cats over five years. So far, 41 cats have been killed. These experiments involve infecting the cats with feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) and then giving them methamphetamine ("speed") to determine if abuse of the drug will alter the progression of FIV. Dr. Podell is hoping to create an "animal model" showing the brain damage known to occur in humans who are both drug abusers and infected with the HIV virus.

To conduct this research, Dr. Podell will subject cats to spinal taps and other painful procedures before killing them to examine their brains. These procedures will likely cause extreme pain, distress, and suffering for the cats. In order to conduct this research, the National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA), a division of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), has so far funded Dr. Podell’s experiment with $700,000. In order to complete this study, Dr. Podell will receive $1.68 million over five years.

According to Dr. Neal Barnard of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM), research into the effects of amphetamines and HIV is more properly done in HIV-positive individuals already being treated with amphetamines for depression and in HIV-positive drug abusers. Dr. Barnard states, "Cats cannot show language deficits, subtle learning problems, hallucinations, delusions, or other neurological effects that are known to occur in drug abusers. Moreover, the cat virus FIV is very different from HIV, and cat results would not apply to people."

PCRM currently has a lawsuit pending against NIH under the Freedom of Information Act for withholding numerous details about Dr. Podell’s work.

Write to Ohio State University President William Kirwan and tell him that you are outraged that these experiments are being conducted at his university. Tell him that this inhumane study needs to cease immediately.

Write and call Glen Hanson, director of the National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA), and tell him that the $700,000 given to Dr. Podell could be better spent on the prevention of drug use and actions that lead to transmission of HIV among humans.

Write and call Dr. Ruth Kirschstein, director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and tell her to stop providing money for this inhumane experiment. Tell her to earmark the $1.68 million to fund education that helps prevent drug use and actions that lead to the transmission of HIV among humans.

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