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USDA Inspection Reports Find Some U.S. Animal Laboratory Facilities Guilty of Violations of Animal Welfare Act Stop Animal Exploitation Now (S.A.E.N.) recently obtained
USDA/APHIS/AC inspection reports for over 160 animal laboratories in the
United States. S.A.E.N. Director, Michael A. Budkie, says that the
violations of the Animal Welfare Act (AWA) are “shocking.” Budkie has
called for an immediate investigation. Boston, MA (PRWEB) June 27, 2006--United States Department of
Agriculture (USDA) documents obtained by S.A.E.N. indicate that nineteen
research institutions violated the AWA from 7-27 times in a period of
nine months in 2005. Michael A. Budkie of S.A.E.N. says that these violations not only
endanger the laboratory animals, but also have the potential to endanger
the lives of people. “People might consume drugs whose safety testing
was performed inside of laboratories where research protocols are not
followed, and stress from inhumane care alters the physiology of the
animals,” Budkie said. S.A.E.N. has requested that the Food and Drug Administration suspend
all funding for the cited laboratories, charging that since the labs are
not following scientific procedures, their products are potentially
unsafe for the American consumer. Some of the incidents in the USDA report include: A monkey strangled
on plastic tubing because the researcher who was in charge of the
primate went to lunch. A beagle asphyxiated after becoming trapped
between the bars of a cage at a pharmaceutical company, and at the same
facility a squirrel monkey died after being run through a cage washer (a
repeat incident). In separate incidents, other primates lost all the skin off their
hands or sustained thermal injuries, a squirrel monkey named “Lil’
Wayne” was found in a state of dehydration due to the shutoff of water
during renovations at the facility and was euthanized. Two rhesus
monkeys were duct taped to restraint chairs for blood withdrawal and
dogs were starved during a two week period to the point that one dog
lost more than 38% of his/her body weight. In a letter to Margaret O’Glavin, Associate Commissioner for
Regulatory Affairs of the FDA, Budkie says that “Both the number and the
severity of the violations is shocking. It is clear that these
laboratories have no respect for the humane treatment of animals or for
public safety. It is also obvious that they are not concerned by the
potential for enforcement actions by USDA/APHIS/AC.” In a separate request, Budkie asked that O’Glavin initiate another
audit of the Eastern Regional Office of USDA/APHIS/AC by the Office of
the Inspector General, charging that the Eastern Regional Office has
been inactive with regard to the offending facilities. The S.A.E.N. investigation was spurred by the recent (September of
2005) audit report 33002-3-SF, APHIS Animal Care Program Enforcement
Activities. S.A.E.N. (www.saenonline.org)
was founded in 1996 to force an end to the abuse of animals in
laboratories. Its first major event was a news conference that revealed
the suffering endured by dogs, rabbits, and primates in 9 laboratories
across the United States. Interested parties may request a copy of “Breaking the Law II, Animal
Care in U.S. Labs: Government Sanctioned Negligence” Contact Michael Budkie A news conference is scheduled in the conference room (2nd floor) of
the First Church at 66 Marlborough St. in Boston, MA on Tuesday, June 27
at 10:15 AM. Return to Press Releases |
