Animal activists around the world have condemned the despicable act of selling live animals to laboratories but an animal shelter in Baton Rouge, in the US state of Louisiana, has no issue with it. This shelter has applied for a license to sell live animals to laboratories, according to the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA).

Peta says it received documents from a whistle blower that the shelter had applied to the government to become a “Class B” animal shelter so that it can sell the animals for deadly use in anatomy laboratories.

The organization has filed complaints with authorities and appealed to the US Department of Agriculture to deny the license. Peta believes the license, if permitted, will set a precedence and erode public trust in shelters – which were supposed to be a haven for lost, abandoned and abused animals.

David Barritt, chief campaigner for Network for Animals (NFA), said this move could result in other shelters following suit and would set a bad example across the world.

“This is animal cruelty and the US government needs to put a stop to it. This shelter should be closed down immediately if it cannot carry out its mandate of sheltering neglected animals,” he said.

“The question to be asked is why would a shelter want such a license, unless there was a monetary value in it for them.”