Animal Rights Groups Encouraged by UW Response to Complaint
by Doug Cunningham
Wednesday, 26 November 2003
From Wisconsin Radio Network
The animal rights group Stop Exploitation of Animals
Now says UW-Madison is finally listening to concerns about primate
research. Michael Budkie says his group is still awaiting the final
results of a federal probe into UW-Madison's research on moneys but it
appears that a formal complaint filed by his group with the USDA has
triggered changes in the research program.
"Since the complaint was
filed the University of Wisconsin has announced they are going to be
altering their policy with regard to the use of primates in painful
experimentation," Budkie said, "We have yet to see what those
alterations will be. But I have to say I am encouraged by this because
this is at least apparently a step forward."
Budkie says it appears that
persistence by animal rights activists is beginning to pay off. "That
certainly is the conclusion you have to draw," Budkie said, "I feel like
somebody is listening now and they're beginning to take these issues
much more seriously than they have in the past."
Stop Animal
Exploitation Now filed a complaint with the U.S.
Department of Agriculture alleging that primates in UW-Madison
labs were being subjected to unnecessary and painful experiments and
that the university was misleading the USDA. After that complaint was
filed in late October, Budkie says, the USDA sent a letter to him
indicating they will send investigators to take a look at primate lab
experiment practices at UW-Madison.
