Chimpanzees Who Are "Retired" From Research Center Must Go To Sanctuaries, Not Other Labs

Originally Posted: October 2, 2012

Tell NIH: Chimpanzees Who Are "Retired" From The New Iberia Research Center Must Go To Sanctuaries, Not Other Labs

FROM In Defense of Animals (IDA)

ACTION

The 100 chimpanzees going to TBRI cannot be considered "retired" from medical research without the benefit of life in a sanctuary. The NIH needs to make sure that these 100 chimpanzees, and future retirees from research, go to sanctuaries, not other labs.

Sign an online petition (copy/paste URL into your browser):
https://secure2.convio.net/ida/site/Advocacy?pagename=homepage&page=UserAction&id=2251

And/or better yet, make direct contact:

Dr. Francis Collins
francis.collins@nih.gov
(301) 496-2433  

INFORMATION / TALKING POINTS

Also read: Proposed home for 100 chimpanzees has long record of primate fatalities, escapes and federal fines; Watchdog group calls on NIH to use sanctuary

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) recently announced that 110 chimpanzees from the New Iberia Research Center (University of Louisiana at Lafayette) would be "retired." This is great news. However, only 10 of the chimpanzees will go to a sanctuary. The other 100 will be transferred to the Texas Biomedical Research Institute (TBRI) in San Antonio. TBRI has a record of poor primate care and was fined $25,714 by the USDA earlier this year for violating the Animal Welfare Act.

According to NIH, the 100 chimpanzees going to TBRI cannot be used for "invasive" research. But they will still be housed in a laboratory with a questionable reputation, rather than a sanctuary as Congress mandated when it passed The Chimpanzee Health Improvement Maintenance and Protection Act (The CHIMP Act) in 2000.

For animals in laboratories, one of their greatest sources of anguish is the boredom, frustration and lack of ability to exercise their natural instincts. The 100 chimpanzees going to TBRI cannot be considered "retired" from medical research without the benefit of life in a sanctuary. The NIH needs to make sure that these 100 chimpanzees, and future retirees from research, go to sanctuaries, not other labs.

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Thank you for everything you do for animals!