MSAW Director Exposes 2019 Scandal Involving Illegal Research on Stray Animals

A damning internal investigation has uncovered evidence that dogs and cats under the care of the Mauritius Society for Animal Welfare (MSAW) were allegedly used for scientific experimentation in breach of national law.

Tinagaren Govindasami, the Director of the MSAW, formally submitted the findings to the Financial Crimes Commission (FCC) this morning.

The report details a series of “disturbing facts” established during an internal probe into practices occurring between 2019 and 2020.

Secret Labs and Unlawful Procedures

According to the report, the public institution engaged in a partnership with a private laboratory to involve animals in research projects.

The investigation highlights several critical breaches of protocol, including:

• Medical Exploitation: Animals were reportedly euthanised, with their bodies used for blood sampling and autopsies as part of scientific studies.
• Procedural Failures: Dozens of dogs were allegedly “adopted” in bulk outside of standard operating procedures, while cats disappeared from the premises with no official trace in the registers.
• Confidential Deals: Agreements were reportedly struck with a specialized animal research firm without informing the parent Ministry. In exchange, the MSAW allegedly received donations of medicine and equipment.

Legal Contraventions

The allegations are particularly serious as Mauritian legislation strictly regulates animal experimentation and explicitly excludes the use of dogs and cats for such purposes.

The MSAW internal investigation suggests that these operations were conducted under “confidential agreements” to bypass legal oversight and standard adoption protocols.

Ongoing Criminal Investigations

Speaking outside the Financial Crimes Commission on Wednesday , 11 February, Mr. Govindasami confirmed that the internal inquiry had solidified several troubling claims.

This is not the first time these allegations have reached authorities.

The Director indicated that a similar report has already been submitted to the Central Criminal Investigation Department (CCID), which is currently conducting its own inquiry into the events that transpired within the organisation during the 2019–2020 period.

Source: Defi Media