The principal researcher involved in a contentious cardiac study conducted on dogs is justifying the significance of his work for the first time after his laboratory in London, Ontario was closed, and Ontario’s premier threatened to prohibit canine research. Frank Prato granted an exclusive interview to CBC London following the clearance of all animal abuse allegations by two separate animal ethics committees.
In August, an exposé by the Investigative Journalism Bureau and Postmedia disclosed that scientists at Lawson Research Institute were covertly inducing three-hour heart attacks in dogs and puppies before euthanizing them for further study. The research, undertaken at St. Joseph’s Hospital in London, was shrouded in secrecy, with the animals reportedly brought into the hospital in covered crates to muffle their sounds, as per whistleblowers.
St. Joseph’s suspended Prato’s research amid public outrage, including from Ontario’s Premier Doug Ford, who pledged to crack down on scientists conducting experiments on animals and proposed legislation to bar “invasive medical research” on cats and dogs.
Prato disputes the secrecy allegations, asserting that he commenced using dogs to study post-heart attack outcomes at the hospital in 1982. He maintains that the dogs are fully anesthetized during the experiments and do not experience suffering like humans do during heart attacks. According to Prato, this research is instrumental in advancing knowledge about heart diseases and saving countless lives.
An independent review by Western University’s Animal Care Committee (ACC) and the Canadian Council on Animal Care (CCAC) found no substantiation of the accusations against Prato’s lab. The investigations included site visits, records reviews, and interviews with involved parties, concluding that the study did not cause heart failure, and the dogs did not endure pain during the procedures.
The review highlighted that the animal model used was appropriate and had made significant global contributions to managing patients with heart attacks. The dogs received attentive post-operative care, including regular monitoring by a clinical veterinarian, socialization activities, and proper nutrition.
Prato emphasized the critical role of his research in developing treatments for heart failure, expressing concern that halting such studies could impede progress in combating heart diseases affecting a substantial number of patients. He explained that dogs were chosen for cardiac research due to their heart similarities with humans compared to other animals, such as pigs, mice, or rats.
Despite the repercussions on his career and personal life, Prato remains focused on the potential impact on cardiac patients, underscoring the importance of balancing animal welfare with medical advancements.