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Stop Animal Exploitation NOW!
S. A. E. N.
"Exposing the truth to wipe out animal experimentation"

Press Releases

More Charges Against Johns Hopkins Research Labs; Animal Deaths ‘Negligent’ Says Research Watchdog Group

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Wednesday / December 3, 2003

Contact: Michael Budkie (513) 575-5517

BALTIMORE – The deaths of primates at the Johns Hopkins University – during the research of Dr. George A. Ricaurte -- have become the subject of an “Official Complaint” issued by a national research watchdog organization Wednesday.

“It is apparent that Ricaurte’s research has been negligent. Mistakes in this laboratory have had a terrible cost in primates’ lives,” said Michael A. Budkie, A.H.T., Executive Director of SAEN.

The Complaint, filed today with the Eastern Regional Office of the United States Department of Agriculture, Animal & Plant Health Inspection Service, alleges inadequate animal care and lying to governmental agencies.

“The primates who died in Ricaurte’s lab likely suffered severely as a result of drug overdoses,” added Budkie. “JHU has a history of lying to the USDA about primate deaths.”

According to government documents obtained by SAEN, researchers at JHU have previously lied about the painful nature of primate deaths when reporting to federal agencies. An incident discussed by a USDA inspector in 2002 revealed a previous occurrence of report falsification by JHU officials involving primates who were experiencing withdrawal during addiction experimentation. A similar incident took place in late 1999 when a primate died of shock.

The SAEN complaint also involves the research of Roland Griffiths, Elise Weerts, Robert Heinz, and Michael Weed. These investigators also perform addiction experiments at Johns Hopkins which subject primates to drug withdrawal.

USDA documents reveal a history of Animal Welfare Act violations relevant to primate experimentation at Johns Hopkins. Repeated violations in environmental enhancement, and IACUC enforcement have occurred throughout a 3-year period.

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