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San Antonio lab dissects Baboon while still alive, federal documents
reveal; National watchdog group to disclose details at Monday briefing
Attention: Daybook/News Desk San Antonio lab dissects Baboon while still alive, federal documents
reveal; National watchdog group to disclose details at Monday briefing
SAN ANTONIO, TX – A male research Baboon was dissected here – while
he was still alive – according to recently obtained federal inspection
reports of Southwest Foundation for Biomedical Research (SWFBR) in San
Antonio, according to a national watchdog organization that monitors
research laboratories. Details of the gruesome discovery will be disclosed at a major news
conference here MONDAY (Feb. 11) at 10:15 a.m. at the St. Anthony
Hotel/Coronado Room (300 East Travis St.) SAEN, an Ohio-based non-profit group, said it is flying its executive
director to the news briefing to outline the 2007 government reports,
which contain more than a dozen violations of the Animal Welfare Act by
SWFBR staff. Several of the violations were incurred in an incident when
a male baboon was dissected while still living. The USDA chastises SWFBR staff: “Euthanasia means the humane
destruction of an animal accomplished by a method that produces rapid
unconsciousness and subsequent death without evidence of pain or
distress…euthanasia of one baboon was not accomplished as described
above…it was not dead prior to the start of the necropsy procedure.” "The Southwest Foundation has a blatant disregard for federal law and
animal lives," said Michael Budkie, A.H.T., SAEN's Executive Director.
"This laboratory should be severely penalized by both the USDA and the
NIH." SAEN, and San Antonio-based Wildlife Rescue & Rehabilitation, Inc.
have filed official complaints against SWFBR with both the U.S. Dept of
Agriculture/Animal & Plant Inspection Service as well as the National
Institutes of Health. The USDA complaint demands immediate enforcement
actions (i.e. fines) against SWFBR and the NIH complaint seeks refunding
of all grants relevant to the use of the baboon. "These blatant violations of the AWA and regulations warrant a
thorough investigation and immediate suspension of these protocols.
Penalties should be assessed and an incident like this should never be
allowed to happen again at any registered facility,” said Don Elroy,
Advocacy and Education Coordinator for Wildlife Rescue & Rehabilitation.
This incident at the Southwest Foundation for Biomedical Research is
the latest in a long series of incidents at the labs, which make up the
National Primate Research Center System. Harvard was recently issued an
official warning for violations of the AWA including an incident where a
primate strangulated on a piece of plastic tubing. The University of
California (Davis) was the subject of intense scrutiny when a former
caretaker made allegations of abuse, following an incident where a
heating malfunction killed seven primates. The University of Wisconsin
has been fined for killing marmosets in a cage washer and has had dozens
of AWA violations since. In 2007, Emory University, home of the Yerkes
Primate Center, paid a USDA fine for serious AWA violations. -30-
Southwest Foundation for Biomedical Research
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