Animal experimentation is an issue of immense
proportions. The United States Department of Agriculture inspects over
1100 labs across the U.S. SAEN has been very active in targeting labs in
many states, including Massachusetts, California, Wisconsin, Washington,
Georgia, Oregon, Michigan, etc. In recent months we have found it
necessary to broaden our scope of action even further to take on
facilities in Louisiana, Iowa, Florida, Alabama, and Nevada. And while
experimentation on primates has been our primary focus in the past, we
are now working on issues involving primates, rats, mice, rabbits,
sheep, dogs, and cats.
The size of the issue we address is increasing. The
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (which includes the
National Institutes of Health, Food & Drug Administration, etc.) now
spends over $12 Billion per year (an increase of 156% in ten years) to
fund over 30,000 grants involving animal experimentation. This crisis is
already huge, but every laboratory has only one desire -- expansion.
The death toll of approximately 25 million animals
dying in labs every year will do nothing but increase, unless we can do
something to stop this tidal wave. But even in this sea of death and
suffering we must remember that the reality is about individuals.
Whether we discuss the primate at the New Iberia Research Center in
Louisiana who died of heat stroke, or the rhesus monkey that passed away
at the University of Alabama, Birmingham (UAB) after a long history of
self-mutilation, we are talking about individuals. But these individuals
are part of a much larger picture. Over 200 primates are incarcerated at
the UAB, and over 6000 primates are imprisoned at the New Iberia
Research Center.
These innocent animals committed no crime, caused no
one harm, had no serious disease. They passed away due to malicious
mistreatment by people. Members of our species killed these blameless
animals simply because they didn’t care. They couldn’t be bothered with
providing even the basics, such as mental stimulation to prevent
insanity, or enough shade or water to prevent heat stroke.
This issue of The Defender will tell you about these
individuals, these labs, and more. You will hear about World
Laboratory Animal Liberation Week 2005 which discusses our successes
in Wisconsin, Alabama, and Iowa. You will also hear about Wally,
the friendly canine passenger who joined me during my travels for WLALW.
In Convention of Cruelty II you will learn of our highly successful
targeting of another vivisectors’ conference in San Diego. You will read
about the launching of our campaign against the Procter & Gamble
Corporation. You will read about negligence, cruelty, and abuse at
the University of Iowa, New Iberia Research Center, and
University of Alabama (Birmingham). But these facilities are also
part of a much larger picture. While we must keep the individual animals
in our hearts, we must also remember the immensity of this issue – the
size of the catastrophe which we witness.
As we take this newsletter to press, we have just
launched new campaigns targeting two major laboratories – University of
South Florida (USF -- we are in touch with an internal whistleblower)
and University of Nevada, Reno (UNR). The media coverage we have focused
on these two labs is still breaking, but at least one of these stories
has gone national -- more to come as both unfold.
We have seen that the government agencies designated
to protect these animals have abdicated their responsibilities, so their
protection is left to us. We will expose the heinous and barbaric
practices of these labs to the light of day, and we will make certain to
keep pressure on until the suffering ends and the cages are empty.
Have we been successful in our work? -- more than I
could have hoped. In the first half of 2005, we have generated over 30
different pieces of media coverage on the animal experimentation issue.
In the last 3 years, we have generated over 90 pieces of media coverage
about animal experimentation. We have done more to expose these
laboratories than anyone else. We are fighting for these innocent
victims and winning!
I am sincerely grateful for your previous gifts which
have allowed us to achieve so much in our fight for the animals that are
tortured in U.S. labs. Please continue to give generously so that we can
take on even more laboratories. Your donation of $25, $50, or $100
will help us to fight for millions of imprisoned and suffering animals.
Larger gifts of $250, $500, or $1000 will help us to take on crucial new
campaigns like USF and UNR. Thank you in advance for your donation.
