Animal research misleading, cruel

To the editor:

Thanks to Marilyn Neville for showing the film "Dealing Dogs" about dog theft and abuse by dealers who sell to research laboratories. As a physician, I have seen animal research up close, regrettably, and wish more people knew how horrible and wrong it is. Research animals feel pain and fear just like our pets do. How can it be right to make them suffer and die?

Please, let's question the assumption that experimenting on animals serves a larger purpose. Animal research is misleading as well as cruel. Myriad animal trials failed, for example, to reveal how dangerous Vioxx would prove to humans.

Socrates, Buddha and Jesus all taught the great and simple truth: "It is wrong to harm others." It is wrong no matter the motive, whether to make money or to advance one's career by publishing a paper.

Dr. STEPHEN W. STIGERS, Cape Girardeau