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Dr. Robert Gibbens Director, Western Region, USDAAnimal rights group demands fines for Portland Community
College over animal deaths
From Kale Williams, OregonLive.com, September 11, 2019
An animal rights group is demanding the federal government fine Portland
Community College thousands of dollars over the deaths of six young animals
at the college's facilities.
The group, Stop Animal Exploitation NOW!, filed a complaint with the U.S.
Department of Agriculture urging the agency to fine the community college
$10,000 each for the deaths of four lambs and two calves. The total,
$60,000, is the maximum allowed under federal guidelines.
According to the complaint, four lambs were killed by predators, likely
coyotes, between October 2018 and July. In one of the incidents, inspectors
noted that construction work had damaged a fence, allowing the predators
access to the lambs.
In a separate incident, twin calves were born "small and weak" earlier this
year and were diagnosed with joint problems. A farm manager at the school
began treating the animals immediately and notified the attending
veterinarian the following day, but the calves later died despite treatment
with antibiotics. The complaint alleges that the deaths could have been
prevented if the veterinarian had been notified earlier.
"It is obscene that Portland Community College's negligence has now killed
six infant animals in just over a year," Michael Budkie, co-founder of the
animal rights group, said in a statement. "This fatal negligence must be
punished."
The school implemented some preventative measures immediately, including
moving its remaining lambs to a smaller pasture with a security light. The
school was also considering additional measures to protect the flock.
"In all cases of animal predation deaths, PCC has reported these incidents
diligently and promptly to its USDA inspector and responded quickly to adopt
increasingly stringent anti-predator measures," the school said in a
statement to Oregon Public Broadcasting. "Each death was followed up by a
review of the farm facility’s program according to best practice documents
pertaining to wild predator loss prevention."