U.S. investigating alleged reporting violation at LRRI
Media Coverage About SAEN Stop Animal Exploitation Now

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Dr. Robert Gibbens
Director, Western Region
USDA/APHIS/A 2150 Center Ave.
Building B, Mailstop 3W11
Fort Collins, CO 80526-8117
(970) 494-7478
[email protected] 

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Please levy the MAXIMUM FINE against the Lovelace Respiratory Research Institute for their blatant disregard of the Animal Welfare Act when their ineptitude killed and inured multiple animals including monkeys, and dogs piling up over a dozen federal violations in approximately two years. Their utter disregard for the animals and the Animal Welfare Act CANNOT be tolerated and MUST be punished to the fullest extent of the law.

 

U.S. investigating alleged reporting violation at LRRI
By Ellen Marks, Albuquerque Journal, March 1, 2018

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — A federal agency is investigating whether Lovelace Respiratory Research Institute failed to report violations of animal welfare laws uncovered during inspections of its Albuquerque facilities.
The institute must follow reporting guidelines set out by the National Institutes of Health because it receives grant money from the agency for research that involves use of animals.

The laboratory has been accused of at least a dozen violations of the Animal Welfare Act since 2015. Those violations, found by inspectors with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, have involved the handling of animals, failure to consult a veterinarian when animals showed symptoms of illness, resulting in at least one death of a monkey, and problems with Lovelace’s internal animal care committee not performing its dutes.

However, Lovelace has not filed required reports with the NIH’s Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare outlining those violations since February 2015, said Michael Budkie, executive director of Stop Animal Exploitation Now, or SAEN.

Lovelace denies that contention, saying it is “fully compliant.”

“Extensive information about the animals, facility and operations is shared frequently and meticulously with the many government agencies that evaluate and audit the work LRRI does,” the lab said in a statement.

However, the lab would not provide copies of the reports it says it filed because they contain proprietary information, a spokeswoman said.

She added that the NIH office in January granted Lovelace a renewal of its “assurance,” which sets out programs for animal care, among other things.

In the renewal letter, senior officer Venita B. Thornton says, “I would especially call your attention to the reporting requirements that are essential for continued compliance …”

The NIH office said in a statement that is investigating SAEN’s complaint.

“NIH takes very seriously all allegations of non-compliance and investigates every allegation,” the statement said.

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