Exposing Cruelty and Waste in California
During 2004 Stop Animal Exploitation NOW! released a
report titled: Breaking the Law, Animal Care in U.S. Labs, which ranked
and exposed the top twenty-five major violators of the law within labs
across the country. These facilities are the worst offenders in the
U.S., accounting for 559 violations of federal regulations for the
treatment of animals in labs in a three-year period.
While this cutting-edge white paper received
substantial coverage in Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Pennsylvania, an
important gap in media coverage still existed. The facility ranked as
the worst abuser of animals in the nation had not been exposed to the
public. This facility had the worst record in terms of numbers of
violations, most repeat and direct violations, and the highest numbers
of violations in areas of IACUC and Veterinary Care -- the University of
California, San Francisco (UCSF).
Coincidentally, we had just completed a new report
which focused on one of the largest primate laboratories in the U.S.
the University of California, Davis/California National Primate Research
Center. Inside the Laboratories of UC Davis: The Truth About Primate
Experimentation exposes the truth about this northern California primate
prison camp which confines over 4000 primates per year. During the
20022003 funding year, the primate center brought roughly $81 million
in federal grants to the University of California. Necropsy report
information from this facility revealed horrific conditions which
clearly indicates that the veterinary care given to these animals is
grossly insufficient.
► 1/3 of the primate deaths were linked to
gastro-intestinal tract disease which can be caused by stress.
►
1/3 of the primates who died in this concentration were emaciated.
►
20% of the animals were dehydrated.
One of the most basic concepts to our work is the
belief that the American public has the right to know the truth about
what is happening in our federally-funded research facilities. We all
have the right to know how our tax dollars are being wasted and which
recipients of that money are breaking the law.
By our best estimates UCSF receives roughly $160
million per year from the National Institutes of Health for the
performance of animal experiments while having probably the worst record
in the U.S. for violating the Animal Welfare Act.
On August 3, 2004, SAENs Executive Director, Michael
A. Budkie, held a dramatic news conference that both announced the
filing of an official complaint against UC Davis and released our
investigative report to the media. This media event was very successful
receiving coverage from five separate media outlets, including two
television stations, two newspapers, and one radio station.
On August 5, 2004, we held another news conference
this time our target was the University of California, San Francisco. We
were extremely successful at exposing UCSF. Coverage of our news
conference appeared in no less than six media outlets hitting all
forms of media television, radio and newspapers.
Check out the outstanding media coverage from both
news conferences on our website.
Please help us to keep the pressure on these
abusive labs. Please write to protest the cruelty they practice on
primates:
J. Michael Bishop, Chancellor
Box 0402, 513 Parnassus Ave, Med Sci 126
University of California, San Francisco
San Francisco, CA 94143-0402
jmbishop@chanoff.ucsf.edu
415-476-2401
415-476-9634 (fax)
Dallas M. Hyde, Ph.D.
California National Primate Research Center
University of California, Davis
One Shields Ave
Davis, CA 95616-8542
dmhyde@ucdavis.edu
530-752-0420
530-752-2880 (fax)
