CITY of ALBUQUERQUE
TWENTY FIFTH COUNCIL
COUNCIL BILL NO. R-22-73 ENACTMENT NO. ________________________
SPONSORED BY: Tammy Fiebelkorn
RESOLUTION
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Directing The Animal Welfare Department To Work With The University Of New Mexico Science Center College Of Nursing To Collect Otherwise Disposed-Of Animal Tissues In City-Owned Or City-Sponsored Spay And Neuter Clinics For Donation To The UNM Health Science Center (Fiebelkorn)
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DIRECTING THE ANIMAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT TO WORK WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF NEW MEXICO SCIENCE CENTER COLLEGE OF NURSING TO COLLECT OTHERWISE DISPOSED OF ANIMAL TISSUES IN CITY-OWNED OR CITY-SPONSORED SPAY AND NEUTER CLINICS FOR DONATION TO THE UNM HEALTH SCIENCE CENTER.
WHEREAS, millions of animals are used in biomedical research every year in the United States; and
WHEREAS, tens of thousands of dogs are used in laboratory research every year in the United States; and
WHEREAS, increased concern for animal welfare and animal rights has brought a greater focus on ethical issues of animal testing; and
WHEREAS, the movement to support and facilitate the development of alternatives to the use of live animals in biomedical research has grown substantially in the U.S. and internationally; and
WHEREAS, the City’s Animal Welfare Department performed 9,966 spay/neuter surgeries of shelter residents in 2021 and plans to dramatically increase this number inf coming years; and
WHEREAS, animal tissue from the City’s veterinarian spay and neuter clinics is currently disposed of as biohazardous material; and
WHEREAS, donating otherwise-disposed of animal tissues for biomedical research will reduce biological wastes from spay and neuter clinics; and
WHEREAS, the ethical principle of replacing live animals in research whenever possible is enshrined in U.S. animal protection law (e.g., Animal Welfare Act (7 U.S.C. § 2131 et seq.); and
WHEREAS, the proposed research taking place in the lab of Xiaozhong John Yu, MD, Ph.D, MPH in the College of Nursing will possibly result in a new method to reduce the number of animals used in laboratory testing by using left over tissue from spay and neuter clinics to mimic live animals; and
WHEREAS, the City of Albuquerque has a unique opportunity to participate in this ground-breaking research which could ultimately lead to a dramatic reduction in the use of animals in laboratory research.
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL, THE GOVERNING BODY OF THE CITY OF ALBUQUERQUE:
Section 1. The City of Albuquerque Animal Welfare Department shall partner with the University of New Mexico (UNM) Science Center College of Nursing to donate for biomedical research, the otherwise disposed of animal tissues generated from City-owned and City-sponsored spay and neuter clinics.
Section 2. The Animal Welfare Department shall enter into a written agreement with the UNM College of Nursing requiring that all animal tissue donated pursuant to this Resolution will be utilized solely to create in-vitro cell culture models as an alternative to lab testing on live animals.
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