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Young Veterinary Research Services is committed to fair and humane treatment of animals
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I would like to thank Rachel Ladd for the opportunity to respond to her questions and concerns within a civil and respectful forum, a distinct contrast to one sided social and broadcast media, which we have recently experienced.

The notion that Young Veterinary Research Services has operated in secret is completely baseless. We have been in Turlock since 1982, and are a second generation family owned business. We have employed over 200 people during that time, including local high school and college students, many of whom who have gone on to occupy prominent positions in our community. We have supported local vendors, and contributed to charities and causes important to the social fabric of the Central Valley.

The public has always had access to our facility. Duly appointed and qualified veterinarians of the USDA, responsible for the enforcement of the Animal Welfare Act, conduct unscheduled inspections of our laboratory at any time. The FDA and the U.S. EPA, responsible for approval of studies that we submit in support of new companion animal drugs, also inspect our laboratory routinely. The results of these inspections and reports are available online through the Freedom of Information Act.

In addition to local animal control, we are inspected by an Animal Care and Use Committee. Composed of local veterinarians, scientists, and members of this community it reviews every protocol, and assesses our facility operations twice yearly.

Our work to support the development of new companion animal drugs is required by federal law. Through ongoing research, medicines are developed that are safer, more effective, and provide new and novel means of controlling diseases that affect our pets. Not only does this research improve animal health, it safeguards human health through the prevention of zoonotic (animal to human) disease such as Lyme's disease, West Nile, plague and various blood born diseases and parasites. Through the efforts of laboratories such as YVRS, our pets can be safe and healthy members of the family.

My wife and I do not believe in ending the life of any animal simply because a study is over. We care for these animals until they many qualify for enrollment in subsequent projects, and in this way actually reduce the number of animals used in research. We are committed to the respect, fair and humane care of our animals.

— David R. Young, DVM, PhD

Young Veterinary Research Services