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Vanderbilt Negligence Kills laboratory animals; Federal Violations Soaring URGENT NEWS ADVISORY NASHVILLE – Recently-obtained federal laboratory violations reports
reveal that negligence inside Vanderbilt labs have taken the lives of
several animals, while others have had painful brain scraping procedures
done without anesthesia.
USDA reports obtained by SAEN (Stop Animal Exploitation NOW) reveal
that in January 2007, a rabbit was killed by being run through a cage
washer at Vanderbilt. In May of 2007 three cotton rats were killed due
to improper handling. Another federal violation report for Vanderbilt
describes a primate who was subjected to a painful brain-scrape
procedure without benefit of anesthesia or pain relief of any kind. “Vanderbilt research staff is clearly ignorant of the basics of
proper animal care,” said Michael A. Budkie, A.H.T., SAEN’s Executive
Director. “This negligence demonstrates that Vanderbilt is clearly a
facility which should not be allowed to perform animal experiments.” According to SAEN (Stop Animal Exploitation NOW) Vanderbilt’s
laboratories have piled up 64 federal violations in the last two years,
placing them among the nation’s worst laboratories. In a recent two year period Vanderbilt’s experimental animal use has
climbed by 52% as federal funding of animal experimentation at
Vanderbilt has topped $170 million. "The federal government is virtually powerless to regulate criminal
labs and facilities like Vanderbilt know it," added Budkie. "Despite
statements to the contrary, it is clear that this university is much
more concerned about the roughly $170 million in federal funding that
animal experimentation generates than it is about following federal
law," he said. SAEN has contacted Jeanne Wallace, Vanderbilt’s Assistant Vice
Chancellor for Research to demand a tour of all animal laboratories. -30-
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