I grew up in a large household and we had quite a few dogs. My uncle, a veterinarian, had seen a lot of animals get abandoned and dogs that were in bad shape. In every case, when people saw these beautiful animals, people wanted to take care of them. There is an emotional connection to a dog that is hard to quantify because you cannot quantify love.
The action movie John Wick started off with this premise in 2014, and fans rooted on a former paid assassin as he went on a rampage… against the people who murdered his dog. He reminded them of this often, that he would have stayed retired—until they took his dog from him. Now, news points out that Dr. Mehmet Oz was engaged in medical testing on puppies, killing at least 300 of them under his practice.
What started all of this? An article on Jezebel covers the details.
In a scandal that will surely make Mitt Romney—who famously strapped his family dog atop the roof of his car for a road trip—look like a PETA activist, a review of 75 studies published by Mehmet Oz between 1989 and 2010 reveals the Republican Senate candidate’s research killed over 300 dogs and inflicted significant suffering on them and the other animals used in experiments.
During the process of handling the dogs, where roughly 329 died—not counting other animals that died or dogs that lived but were significantly harmed—other veterinarians noticed cruelty and animal mistreatment. Catherine Dell’Orto reported animal abuse, and after a quick look, Columbia University faced fines for violating the Animal Welfare Act.
What went wrong? Animal testing of drugs is frequent and sometimes goes wrong, but it is how Dr. Oz and his people treated the animals that really stood out. In one case, a dog experiencing organ failure was kept alive for nearly a month in immense pain for continued experimentation, a situation that rendered the data garnered from the animal unusable. What was the reason for torturing this animal? What on earth could justify a situation so bad that others have to act as a whistle-blower?
Has anyone seen this dog since May?
Animal abuse is something we simply do not, and should not tolerate. Michael Vick faced harsh penalties in the form of a three-year sentence on probation, NFL penalties, and a public rebuke — rebuke he deserved for his vile acts.
Mehmet Oz harmed more animals, cruelly ; not in a fight ring, but during unethical, scientifically unfounded research. And people still imagine he’s worthy of being in the U.S. Senate.
If you are willing to treat animals with such cruelty, how can you ethically represent people who deserve and expect your empathy and care?