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Watchdog group concerned over Pitt reports on primate injuries, deaths
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ACTION ALERT:
Contact:
Dr. Elizabeth GoldentyerDirector, USDA, Eastern Region
(919) 855-7100
[email protected]
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SAMPLE MESSAGE:
Please LEVY a MAXIMUM FINE against University of Pittsburgh for their blatant disregard of the Animal Welfare Act (AWA) when their negligence killed two monkeys, and injured a third. This behavior must NOT be tolerated and MUST be punished to the fullest extent of the law.
Watchdog group concerned over Pitt reports on primate injuries, deaths
From Deb Erdley, TribLive.com, October 28, 2019
An Ohio-based research watchdog group has filed a complaint asking the
USDA to sanction the University of Pittsburgh for the deaths of two primates
and the injury of a third in its animal research programs.
Stop Animal Exploitation Now, or SAEN, cited reports that Pitt submitted to
the National Institutes of Health in August regarding the incidents.
In one case, Pitt officials reported that a pair of monkeys suffered
strangulation injuries when they became entangled in chain collars they were
wearing. One died before the two could be separated, while the other animal
was treated for bruising about the face.
The university reported that a marmoset in another study had to be
euthanized after research staff found that a broken hammock clip had pierced
its jaw and caused an infection. Veterinarians amputated two fingers of a
second marmoset that was injured after it escaped from its cage.
In university reports to the NIH’s Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare,
dated Aug. 23, George Huber, Pitt’s Institutional Officer for Animal Care
and Use, reported that Pitt had instituted corrective action plans and USDA
had inspected its facilities after the reports were filed and found “no
non-compliant items.”
A Pitt spokesman said the university is committed to the highest standards
of care for research animals.
Pitt promptly reported the incidents in question to the USDA and instigated
corrective action plans, Pitt spokesman Kevin Zwick said.
“While incidents such as these are extremely rare, we strive for continuous
improvement to prevent any such occurrence. We will continue to enforce
rigorous safeguards to ensure the humane care of all animals involved in
scientific and medical research,” Zwick said.
SAEN co-founder Michael A. Budkie took issue with that.
“The deaths and injuries of monkeys at the University of Pittsburgh clearly
violate the Animal Welfare Act and deserve the maximum penalty. What does it
say about University of Pittsburgh staff if they can’t even keep the animals
alive long enough to perform the experiments?” Budkie said.
Huber said all three incidents were reviewed and changes were made that
called for additional training of lab staff as well as replacing chain
collars with solid ones.
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