Walk Away from WalkAmerica
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals - PETA
April 04, 2006
By Heather Moore
WalkAmerica, March of Dimes’ largest annual fundraiser, is taking place now in cities across the U.S. Seventeen years ago, I participated in this event, believing funds would be used to fight birth defects. Since then, I've had three surgeries to correct foot deformities that doctors suspect were caused by Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease (CMT), a hereditary progressive nerve disorder of the feet, lower legs and hands. There is no cure for CMT and treatment is limited to customized shoe inserts, leg braces, orthopedic surgery, and/or physical therapy. Some people with CMT are only mildly inconvenienced, while others must use a wheelchair to remain mobile.
Unbeknownst to many WalkAmerica participants and supporters, the March of Dimes waste time and money on animal research instead of devoting all of their funds to worthwhile projects that may truly help people with CMT and other birth defects.
March of Dimes-funded experimenters have sewn kitten’s eyes shut, implanted wires in the uteruses of pregnant monkeys, cut open the skulls of ferrets and injected chemicals into their brains and administered cocaine, nicotine and alcohol to pregnant rats and opossums, even though we have known for decades that these substances can harm a developing baby. Most recently, the March of Dimes gave a grant to an experimenter at the Oregon Regional Primate Research Center who tethers pregnant monkeys to their cage walls by wires implanted in their backs.
The March of Dimes’ inhumane treatment of animals causes me much more distress than any genetic defect ever could. I find it sadly ironic that the charity inflicts the same pain and suffering on animals that it wishes to eliminate in humans.
Vivisection proponents like to insist that we animal rights advocates would change our minds about animal experimentation if we had diseases or disabilities. But some of us do have diseases and disabilities—and we don’t change our minds. The implication that people with medical disorders would automatically support animal experimentation is insulting. It suggests that we are selfish, callous and desperate and will support animal cruelty in order to help themselves--no matter how futile the chance.
It is simply unethical to cause harm to one species under the guise of helping another. Unethical and ineffective. Although humans and animals both feel pain, fear, sadness, joy, love and other emotions, physiologically there are vast differences between species and data from one species cannot always be correctly applied to another. Drugs such as Thalidomide, DES and Accutane, for example, were thoroughly tested on animals and judged “safe,” yet many people who took these drugs died or harmed their unborn children.
Animals needn’t suffer and die for humans to live healthy, productive lives. Relevant programs, such as a National Birth Defects Registry, improved prenatal care, counseling and education, and treatment for pregnant women addicted to nicotine, alcohol and drugs, can really help prevent birth defects and improve the quality of life for people with medical conditions.
The March of Dimes does have non-animal programs that could help people with birth defects, including CMT, one the most common genetic disorders. Unfortunately, the charity also supports genetic experiments on animals. Every dollar that the March of Dimes spends on animal studies is a dollar that could have been spent on humane, effective methods of fighting birth defects.
Several years ago, I contacted The Charcot-Marie-Tooth Association of Australia, Inc., to ask if the charity funded research on animals. June Shepherd, the acting secretary, informed me that the charity was conducting research on blood donated from people who wanted to find the genes responsible for the condition. “There is never any research on animals,” she replied. “And there will not be in the future, as that will not give us the answers we seek.”
Many other charities, including Easter Seals, Birth Defect Research for Children, Heimlich Institute, and the Little People’s Research Fund, Inc., put all their funds into programs that directly benefit people and never waste a penny on animal experiments.
If you really want to help stop suffering, skip WalkAmerica. Charities that help both babies and animals are far more deserving of your support. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals has a complete list of health charities that do and do not fund animal experiments at StopAnimalTests.com.
Heather Moore is senior writer for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), 501 Front St., Norfolk, VA 23510; PETA.org.
WalkAmerica, March of Dimes’ largest annual fundraiser, is taking place now in cities across the U.S. Seventeen years ago, I participated in this event, believing funds would be used to fight birth defects. Since then, I've had three surgeries to correct foot deformities that doctors suspect were caused by Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease (CMT), a hereditary progressive nerve disorder of the feet, lower legs and hands. There is no cure for CMT and treatment is limited to customized shoe inserts, leg braces, orthopedic surgery, and/or physical therapy. Some people with CMT are only mildly inconvenienced, while others must use a wheelchair to remain mobile.
Unbeknownst to many WalkAmerica participants and supporters, the March of Dimes waste time and money on animal research instead of devoting all of their funds to worthwhile projects that may truly help people with CMT and other birth defects.
March of Dimes-funded experimenters have sewn kitten’s eyes shut, implanted wires in the uteruses of pregnant monkeys, cut open the skulls of ferrets and injected chemicals into their brains and administered cocaine, nicotine and alcohol to pregnant rats and opossums, even though we have known for decades that these substances can harm a developing baby. Most recently, the March of Dimes gave a grant to an experimenter at the Oregon Regional Primate Research Center who tethers pregnant monkeys to their cage walls by wires implanted in their backs.
The March of Dimes’ inhumane treatment of animals causes me much more distress than any genetic defect ever could. I find it sadly ironic that the charity inflicts the same pain and suffering on animals that it wishes to eliminate in humans.
Vivisection proponents like to insist that we animal rights advocates would change our minds about animal experimentation if we had diseases or disabilities. But some of us do have diseases and disabilities—and we don’t change our minds. The implication that people with medical disorders would automatically support animal experimentation is insulting. It suggests that we are selfish, callous and desperate and will support animal cruelty in order to help themselves--no matter how futile the chance.
It is simply unethical to cause harm to one species under the guise of helping another. Unethical and ineffective. Although humans and animals both feel pain, fear, sadness, joy, love and other emotions, physiologically there are vast differences between species and data from one species cannot always be correctly applied to another. Drugs such as Thalidomide, DES and Accutane, for example, were thoroughly tested on animals and judged “safe,” yet many people who took these drugs died or harmed their unborn children.
Animals needn’t suffer and die for humans to live healthy, productive lives. Relevant programs, such as a National Birth Defects Registry, improved prenatal care, counseling and education, and treatment for pregnant women addicted to nicotine, alcohol and drugs, can really help prevent birth defects and improve the quality of life for people with medical conditions.
The March of Dimes does have non-animal programs that could help people with birth defects, including CMT, one the most common genetic disorders. Unfortunately, the charity also supports genetic experiments on animals. Every dollar that the March of Dimes spends on animal studies is a dollar that could have been spent on humane, effective methods of fighting birth defects.
Several years ago, I contacted The Charcot-Marie-Tooth Association of Australia, Inc., to ask if the charity funded research on animals. June Shepherd, the acting secretary, informed me that the charity was conducting research on blood donated from people who wanted to find the genes responsible for the condition. “There is never any research on animals,” she replied. “And there will not be in the future, as that will not give us the answers we seek.”
Many other charities, including Easter Seals, Birth Defect Research for Children, Heimlich Institute, and the Little People’s Research Fund, Inc., put all their funds into programs that directly benefit people and never waste a penny on animal experiments.
If you really want to help stop suffering, skip WalkAmerica. Charities that help both babies and animals are far more deserving of your support. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals has a complete list of health charities that do and do not fund animal experiments at StopAnimalTests.com.
Heather Moore is senior writer for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), 501 Front St., Norfolk, VA 23510; PETA.org.
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