Animal research is governed by only one law, the Animal Welfare
Act (AWA). This law is enforced by the United States Department of
Agriculture. In order that some idea of the effectiveness of the
enforcement of this law regarding primates, and thereby through
inference regarding other species of animals, a Freedom of
Information Act request has been filed with the United States
Department of Agriculture for inspection reports for research
facilities in the U.S. This request was filed in 2006 but the
totality of the documents have still not been provided.
Additionally, our ability to assess the frequency with which
non-human primates are subjected to illegal practices has been
hampered by the fact that the USDA often redacts the species names
from inspection reports as part of the FOIA process. In other
instances, USDA inspectors often list the regulations violated at a
laboratory, and information about the incident that led to the
violation, without providing the relevant species of animal. The
result of this situation is that the occurrence of AWA violations
relevant to primates is certainly much higher than can be
demonstrated due to the vague nature of the documentation, or due to
document redaction.
One relevant example of this phenomenon is relevant to the Motac
Cognition laboratory in Cherry Hill New Jersey amassed 9 violations
of the AWA during a period of just over a year. The relevant
inspection reports disclose illegal activities such as depriving
animals of food. However, no species are listed. We can only be sure
that these violations are relevant to primates because the 2007
animal use report filed by Motac Cognition lists only primates as
being used at the facility. Therefore, the 9 violations are relevant
to the 16 primates that the facility holds.
It is not uncommon for the negligence of laboratories to either
take the lives of non-human primates, or to cause serious suffering
and/or injuries to these animals. A Decemer 2007 USDA inspection
report for the University of Wisconsin, Madison discloses that a
monkey died due to lack of veterinary care, after suffering with
health problems for over a year. An April 2007 inspection report for
the Southwest Foundation for Biomedical Research (San Antonio, TX)
discloses an incident where the dissection of a baboon began before
the animal had been euthanized, the USDA issued only an official
warning—no fine was paid. A May, 2006 report for the University of
Texas (San Antonio) disclosed that a baboon had died after receiving
inadequate post-surgical monitoring and treatment. In July of 2006
Emory University was cited in the death of a primate whose demise
was caused by improperly assembled anesthetic equipment. In May of
2007 Franklin & Marshall University is cited for injury to an infant
capuchin monkey caused by improperly housing him and his mother with
other monkeys. According to a 2008 story by the Everett Herald,
a monkey was killed at the SNBL facility in Everett (WA) when the
animal was sent through a cagewashing system, the USDA took no
punitive action. According to a 2008 Associated Press story, 32
non-human primates died at Charles River Laboratories in Reno, NV
when a heating malfunction subjected them to excessively high
temperatures (no action was taken by the USDA).
Information from multiple sources reveal that non-human primates
have suffered pain and major injuries as a result of negligence. In
January of 2007 the Smith-Kettlewell Institute of San Francisco was
cited for performing unapproved surgical procedures on a primate
that left screws in the animal’s face and head. In December of 2006
Vanderbilt University is cited for performing a durascrape (scraping
of the membrane surrounding the brain) on a primate without
anesthesia. In March of 2007 Charles River laboratories (facility in
NV) is cited for improperly handling and transporting primates
resulting in so severely that finger injuries occurred which
required amputations of the primates’ fingers. Internal documents
leaked from the Alpha Genesis Corporation reveal that many primates
at this facility suffer from traumatic injuries and are missing
digits.
In August of 2006 the University of California (San Francisco) is
cited for depriving primates of water. In August of 2007 Duke
University was also cited for depriving primates of water. In April
of 2006, Princeton University is also cited for depriving an animal
of water. In April of 2007 Cornell University (NY) is cited for
depriving 6 primates of water. In July of 2007 Massachusetts General
Hospital is cited for inadequately monitoring primates whose access
to water is restricted.
As has been previously stated, regulations for environmental
enhancement for primates to prevent abnormal behavior have been
instituted. Yeshiva University (NY), Yale, University of South
Florida (Tampa), University of Pittsburgh, State University of New
York (Brooklyn), Motac Cognition, Charles River Laboratories,
Bucknell College, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals were all
cited for violations of environmental enhancement provisions leading
to abnormal behavior in primates from hair pulling to circling and
other stereotypical behaviors.
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