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Investigations and results
In response to many of the comments regarding animal abuse, I have
communicated privately with several individuals who willingly entered
into a dialogue, and I respect that. Secondly, I am going to provide
just a few cases below, not to prove that all research utilizing
animals is wrong, but to simply demonstrate that simply knowing of no
case of abuse doesn't mean that it doesn't exist. We all only
experience what we see and feel. As far as I know, none of us has x-
ray vision that can see all, whether we're in the area or not. I also
don't want to give the impression that I am against testing animals
in order to preclude helping mankind. I am categorically in favour of
testing animals where there is a demonstrable positive effect that
will help eliminate pain and suffering to humans. I do believe that
animals should be treated with proper care, and, that measures be
taken to prevent unnecessary pain and suffering. There are
unfortunately individuals who as children or teens, took pleasure in
hurting or killing animals, simply for the fun of it, and have grown
up to work in research facilities. This is simply wrong, and to
condone killing or hurting any animal simply for the fun and joy of
it (I am NOT talking about hunting here), is wrong.
I will not address this further in the list. I will be pleased to
converse off-line, if anyone desires to do so.
=================
Here's an incomplete list of PETA investigations. Information about
one certain lab has not been provided because PETA is under a gag
order about it. However, it has been recently learned that the gag
order will very soon expire! This investigation resulted in $50,000
in fines from the USDA.
In every investigation PETA has conducted, the facility or "target"
has been found guilty of wrongdoing, either according to the federal
Animal Welfare Act, the NIH Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory
Animals, or state anti-cruelty statutes.
Carolina Biological Supply Company - NC - Violations of the AWA,
Administrative Court action taken against the dissection supplier.
Our videotape documentation showed that live cats were crammed so
tightly into cages that their fur and flesh stuck out the openings.
The cages were put into a crude gas chamber and, since there was such
severe overcrowding, many of the cats were not dead after coming out
of the chamber. USDA veterinarians testified that some of these cats
were still alive when they were being infused with formaldehyde. The
USDA Administrative Judge in a startling show of bias, ruled that the
cats were not alive because the CBSC manager (no vet degree - no
degree, period!) said they were not alive! Our case was featured on
ABC Evening News and showed Roger Carras, the reporter, being chased
by a backhoe driven by the cat collector, Al Wise.
-------------------
Wright State University - our investigation into the use of rabbits
and dogs for scabies experiments resulted in a 10 page scathing
letter from the NIH and $25,000 in fines by the USDA. The head
veterinarian resigned in shame. We videotaped and photographed dogs
and rabbits suffering with scabies to the point where their organs
were being affected. No vet care, improper euthanasia, rabbits
bludgeoned with a claw hammer so they could be taken home to be eaten
by staff -- these are all real horrors that occurred in a federally
funded and federally inspected laboratory.
-----------------
Hazleton Research Products - we documented a worker who was known by
management to treat animals cruelly, beating rabbits and slamming
them against the wall when he got angry at them. He often left
severely injured rabbits (internal injuries and broken limbs) in
their cages to die to teach them a lesson. The lab was charged with
cruelty to animals by the Kalamazoo Sheriff's Dept. and a USDA
investigation resulted in sanctions.
------------------
Buckshire Corporation - This Perkasie, Pa. animal supplier and
laboratory was fined $25,000 by the USDA after we documented
chimpanzees in a windowless basement in undersized cages who had gone
cage-crazy from isolation and boredom. This
investigation resulted in the US Army removing its 5 chimpanzees from
the facility. Egregious cruelty to cats was also documented
at Buckshire, including lack of veterinary care, overcrowding, and
inadequate husbandry. Dale Schwindamann, head of USDA's
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Services at the time told me that
this case was among the best documented he had ever seen.
-----------------
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill - Our investigator made
complaints to her supervisors and the Institutional Animal Care and
Use Committee about the failure to provide veterinary treatment to
mice and rats on a daily basis. PETA has filed a 52 page
complaint with the NIH along with 59 videotapes proving that
researchers can be deliberately cruel.
------------------
NASA's Ames Research Facility - Mt. View, Calif. -- Our investigation
into a veterinarian's complaint about the inept neurosurgeries
being conducted on monkeys resulted in a cease and desist for a
particular researcher who was no longer allowed to conduct such
surgeries. There is so much to this case it makes my head spin but
suffice it to say that we found deliberate cruelty in this facility
as well. Even the veterinarian could not get changes made sufficient
enough to clean the place up. It took public embarrassment.
-----------------
There are other cases such as the neuro experiments on cats conducted
by Josef Rauscheck at the National Institutes of Mental Health in
Bethesda, Md. Nelson Garnett, head of what was then the Office of
Protection from Research Risks, stated that the revelations of that
case by PETA resulted in sweeping changes to the way in which
research was overseen.
***************************************************************
Sandy Perle Tel:(714) 545-0100 / (800) 548-5100
Director, Technical Extension 2306
ICN Worldwide Dosimetry Service Fax:(714) 668-3149
ICN Pharmaceuticals, Inc. E-Mail: sandyfl@earthlink.net
ICN Plaza, 3300 Hyland Avenue E-Mail: sperle@icnpharm.com
Costa Mesa, CA 92626
Personal Website: http://sandy-travels.com
ICN Worldwide Dosimetry Website: http://www.dosimetry.com
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