For immediate release:
Jul 9, 2021
Contact:
Tasgola Bruner 202-483-7382
Seattle – Pointing to a long history of violations at the University of Washington (UW) animal laboratory, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) rejected UW’s attempt to erase recent quotes about critical violations of federal animal welfare laws. One of the quotes was prompted by a complaint PETA filed with the USDA in September.
The agency backed up accusations against UW for failing to notice that the pigtailed monkey disappeared from its cage at the Washington National Primate Research Center for 12-48 hours without access to food and water. PETA found this violation in documents obtained as a result of an open request. When the monkey was finally found, it was dehydrated. The USDA also confirmed links to another primate center incident in which a macaque broke two locks on a set of cages and fled with its cage mate to a room with other monkeys, sustaining hand and finger injuries, as well as UW. refusal to observe rabbits throughout the weekend as required by federal regulations.
Despite the severity of the violations, UW attorneys filed a 54-page appeal with the USDA, complaining that the university should not be mentioned, in part because it took “corrective action” after the incidents occurred. In response, Animal Welfare Agency Director Dr. Robert Gibbens noted that three critical violations occurred in just nine months, writing in a letter to UW that such a record “does not indicate that an entity that is demonstrating success in preventing serious problems related to with animal welfare ”.
“UW cannot justify its horrific negligence, so it is instead trying to cover it up,” says PETA Senior Vice President Cathy Guillermo. “The public that funds the Washington National Primate Research Center has a right to be aware of the myriad of egregious violations and that apes are suffering as a result.”
USDA documents are available upon request. PETA, whose motto is in part that “animals are not ours to experiment on” – opposes arrogance, a worldview focused on human excellence. For more information please visit PETA.org or subscribe to the group on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram…