ACTION ALERT:
Contact:
Dr. Robert Gibbens Director, Western Region, USDA
(970) 494-7478
[email protected]
[email protected]
SAMPLE MESSAGE:
Please LEVY a MAXIMUM FINE against Antibodies Inc. for their blatant disregard of the Animal Welfare Act (AWA) when their negligence killed five alpacas. Their behavior must NOT be tolerated and MUST be punished to the fullest extent of the law.
Davis Antibodies Facility Breaks
Federal Law, Faces Heavy Fines Says Watchdog
By Crescenzo Vellucci, DavisVanguard.org, November 22, 2017
A nearly 60-year-old Davis firm that provides antibodies for academic and
industry scientists like those at University of California, Davis, has
admitted breaking federal law when it negligently killed five animals, and
now faces tens of thousands of dollars in fines, reported a national
watchdog group this week.
Antibodies, Incorporated, founded in 1960 to “provide essential products for
the growing immunology market,” according to its website, admitted to the
deaths of at least five alpacas.
AI said a caretaker at the 40-acre facility poisoned the alpacas.
Apparently, the caretaker dumped poisonous oleander cuttings in an area
where the alpacas roamed.
AI has animal care units and laboratories and room for thousands of mice,
rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters, goats, llamas and other animals.
The incident, however, caught the attention of Stop Animal Exploitation Now!
(SAEN), an Ohio-based animal rights watchdog group that says it monitors
U.S. research facilities for animal abuse and
illegal activities.
“This incident clearly demonstrates Antibodies Inc. considers animals
nothing more than disposable objects to manufacture a product. Antibodies
Inc.’s fatal negligence deserves the maximum penalty allowable under the
Animal Welfare Act,” said Michael Budkie, executive director and co-founder
of SAEN.
AI, which SAEN says faces federal fines of $10,000 per animal, provides
antiserum production, immunochemistry and related services for the academic
or industry research scientists.
AI admitted the deaths in its government report, stating: “Five alpacas died
at our facility as a result of an accidental poisoning by oleander on the
weekend of 14 – 16 July, 2017.”
But SAEN said AI isn’t alone. Other antibodies research facilities have also
gotten into trouble with federal oversight agencies – in this case, the
USDA.
According to SAEN, Santa Cruz Biotechnology surrendered its license two
years ago after a series of animal deaths and huge fines. San Diego’s Pro
Sci, one of the nation’s leading suppliers of antibodies, was called by SAEN
the most “criminal” facility in the U.S. after it was cited for breaking
federal law 15 times in less than a year.
SAEN said it has filed a complaint with the USDA against Antibodies, Inc.,
for violating federal laws, urging up to a $50,000 fine.
“Due to the serious and fatal nature of this incident, we’ve urged a heavy
fine be levied against this bungling laboratory’s fatal negligence (that
caused the) unnecessary and negligent deaths of five alpacas,” said Budkie.
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