URGENT NEWS ADVISORY
Monday, August 23, 2004
Contact: SAEN National 513.575-5517
Attention: News Desk
DAVIS - A national research watchdog group Monday
released a statement accusing the University of California, Davis staff
of negligence following the deaths of seven cynomolgous monkeys this
past weekend.
SAEN, a Cincinnati-based non-profit organization, is
also calling for an independent investigation into the circumstances
which lead to the deaths of the primates, and a suspension of
experiments at the university.
"The deaths of these animals should be sufficient
cause for the immediate suspension of all experimental procedures until
an independent investigation of this incident can be completed," said
Michael A. Budkie, A.H.T., SAEN's Executive Director.
"Any internal examination of the circumstances
surrounding this incident will without doubt be nothing more than a
whitewash," he said in a statement.
Earlier this month, SAEN filed an official complaint
against the laboratories at UC Davis, accusing the lab of performing
painful experiments on primates without benefit of anesthesia and lying
about the experiments to federal agencies.
The watchdog organization also announced that
investigative staff are currently in the process of obtaining internal
documents from Davis officials regarding both experimental procedures
and primate care.
"This situation has underscored the obvious need for
more oversight of laboratories. Since the current authorities, both
internal and external, are clearly inadequate, we will continue our
investigation of the use and abuse of primates at UC Davis,' added
Budkie. "Results of this investigation will be revealed within a few
months."
For a full statement please contact call SAEN at
513/575-5517
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