Animal rights organization blasts Santa Cruz Biotech for continued animal welfare violations
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Please contact the Secretary of Agriculture and insist that USDA/APHIS/AC’s Western Regional Office immediately confiscate all animals at Santa Cruz Biotech who are in need of veterinary care. Tom Vilsack, Secretary of Agriculture AND Also, please contact the Director of the USDA’s Western Regional
Office to insist that all animals in need of veterinary care at Santa
Cruz Biotech be immediately confiscated. |
http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_22069152/animal-rights-organization-blasts-santa-cruz-company-continued
Animal rights organization blasts Santa Cruz Biotech for continued animal welfare violations
By Jessica M. Pasko, Santa Cruz Sentinel, Monday, September 26, 2012
SANTA CRUZ -- Santa Cruz Biotechnology continued to violate animal
welfare regulations even after a federal complaint was lodged against
the company, records show.
An animal rights organization has written a letter to Secretary of
Agriculture Tom Vilsack prevailing upon him to take immediate action and
to remove all of the animals at the Delaware Avenue facility in Santa
Cruz.
"We consider this situation to literally be a matter of life and death
for these animals," wrote Michael Budkie, executive director of
Ohio-based Stop Animal Exploitation Now. "If no action is taken and
animals continue to due, the Office of the Secretary of Agriculture will
have a substantial share of the blame."
Santa Cruz Biotech has a history of violating the federal animal welfare
act. The U.S. Department of Agriculture in July filed a 10-page
complaint against the company, listing incidents stemming from
inspections in July 2007 through May 2012. Those incidents included
problems with the handling of animals, inadequate veterinary care,
improper food and unqualified personnel.
No hearing date has been set in the mattere, said USDA spokesman David
Sacks. A previous date was vacated due to Hurricane Sandy.
As with all cases, "there is always the possibility of a settlement,"
Sacks said.
The agency's most recent inspection of Santa Cruz Biotech, dated Aug.
23, revealed two goats had died from inadequate veterinary care. Other
goats were found to be suffering anemia, respiratory illness and other
conditions, according to the inspection report.
The latest inspection won't have bearing on the current complaint
because the complaint already had been issued, Sacks said.
Still, he said, this type of repeat violation is "certainly not what
we're hoping for."
Santa Cruz Biotechnology also maintains offices in Paso Robles; Sun
Valley, Idaho; and Heidelberg, Germany.
See also:
- Santa Cruz Biotechnology Inc., Santa Cruz, CA
-
Negligence Death Toll Mounts at Santa Cruz Biotech; Watchdog Demands Action from Secretary of Agriculture
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