Through sheer carelessness, dozens of our closest relatives have died terrible deaths inside nationally-known U.S. labs.

A recent USDA inspection report cites the University of Washington (Seattle) in the starvation death of a primate who was found dead of “malnutrition” after losing 25% of his/her body weight. The UW was cited by the USDA for inadequate veterinary care, housing, and enclosures.

A June of 2009 government report revealed the negligent death of a primate at a Charles River Laboratories (CRL) location in Nevada. Even though the cage was supposedly checked three times, a primate was missed inside and was literally boiled alive from the extreme heat of the cagewasher. This blatant error garnered CRL only a measly $4500 fine. This same slipshod lab had just been fined a paltry $10,000 for cooking 32 primates to death because of an undetected heating malfunction. No fine was issued in 2007 when this same incompetent CRL lab maimed primates so severely that their fingers had to be amputated.

During a May of 2008 inspection, the Lovelace Inhalation Research Institute of Albuquerque (NM) was cited for inadequate housing of primates because a monkey died after his/her head became entrapped between a perch and the wall of the cage.

According to a June 29, 2009, USDA report, staff at the Weill Medical College of Cornell University (NY) killed a non-human primate by neglecting to open the expiratory valve on an anesthetic machine resulting in “pulmonary hyperinflation.”

In November, 2009, Oregon Health Sciences University (OHSU) was cited for violations involving the administration of unapproved toxic compounds to several monkeys causing their deaths. While an earlier inspection revealed that a female primate had died of severe infection after a fetal death went unnoticed, and yet another primate suffered serious health issues when a botched surgery left a surgical sponge inside the abdomen. OHSU incompetence surfaced again when surgery was performed on the wrong animal.

According to a 2008 USDA inspection, Vanderbilt University (TN) was cited when a dead infant galago was found atop recently cleaned nesting boxes. Other deficiencies also cited during 2008 include repeatedly performing invasive head chamber cleanings on un-anesthetized primates, use of expired drugs, etc. Vanderbilt incompetence is not limited to primates -- three hamsters were killed when unapproved substances were injected.

Within days of unearthing these atrocities, SAEN exposed these labs through gripping news stories which reached millions of people -- crisscrossing the globe through the internet. In just one week, news stories generated by our campaign inundated the internet with over 50,000 news stories!

Check out the article titled, “SAEN calls on Secretary of Agriculture to Take Action,” for ways to fight for an end to these animals’ unnecessary suffering and deaths.

Your donation will help us to continue fighting for the freedom of these animals!

See Also:
SAEN exposes Abuse of Dogs and Cats inside 5 U.S. Labs -- USDA allows labs to literally get away with murder - 17 Mar 2010
SAEN calls on Secretary of Agriculture to Take Action -- Demands Investigation of USDA Law Enforcement - 17 Mar 2010
Research Monkey Deaths Prompt Calls for Crackdown - 17 Mar 2010