Pacemaker study using Labradors ends over activist outcry

The University of Maastricht (UM) has decided to suspend their experiment testing pacemakers on several dozen Labradors. This decision was reached after the Anti Animal Testing Coalition (ADC) collected more than 84 thousand signatures on a petition. The petition website freethelabradors.org states that as many as 39 Labradors are about to be used in this experiment. Heart failure will be induced in these healthy dogs, causing death in an estimated third of these animals. The website further states that the researchers themselves assume the tests to be very painful. According to AD.nl, Robert Molenaar, spokesperson for the ADC, has stated that they want to enter discussions with the university as soon as possible. He went on to say that simply suspending the experiment is not enough, it should be stopped completely. During the opening of the academic year this coming Monday, 150 animal lovers will go to the animal testing center in Maastricht to claim the Labradors. A silent procession is also planned for animal day on October 4th. The university issued a statement saying that they understand the community has concerns regarding the use of laboratory animals such as dogs. They will take the matter into closer consideration. The ADC is overwhelmed by the reaction they have received from animal lovers, AD.nl reports. They already have loving families willing to take in each of the 39 Labradors.