Exposing the truth to wipe out animal experimentation
Media Coverage About SAEN Stop Animal Exploitation Now
Tech laboratory fined $18,950 for animal abuse
From Erin Bailey, June 23, 2024
Federal regulators fined Virginia Tech $18,950 for seven violations of
the Animal Welfare Act from Feb. 4, 2021, to July 5, 2023 according to
NRVNews. Stop Animal Exploitation NOW! (SAEN) recorded complaints of the
laboratory breaking the act and contributing to animal suffering.
A report released by the United States Department of Agriculture states if
Virginia Tech pays the fine, the university will enter a settlement
agreement.
“Tech puts on this facade of being an animal-friendly school,” said Rose
Potter, a senior majoring in political science with a legal studies
concentration. “I have always loved how animal-loving the school is, so when
I randomly discovered this, I was shocked they don’t have to admit to the
abuse by paying the fine from the legal perspective.”
If Virginia Tech pays the fine, they will not have to confirm or deny the
alleged violations.
Officials found the following according to the report:
- Feb. 4, 2021, Gottingen pigs were used to study traumatic brain injury.
Six pigs were used in the procedure and two of the six pigs survived the
testing.
- June 29, 2021, officials discovered an overweight cow that was diagnosed
with heat stress.
- March 3 to March 8, 2022, a six-day old piglet died suffering from
prolonged starvation due to the facility removing the piglet from the
mother.
- July 26, 2022, several hamsters participating in a study were left with
skin lesions in their abdomen area.
- Sept. 30, 2022, a trainee drawing blood from a hamster used too much
restraint resulting in the euthanization of the animal due to the hamster
being non-responsive.
- Jan. 9, 2023, the laboratory failed to perform routine checkups on a
piglet's weight despite protocol requiring routine weight checkups.
- July 5, 2023, researchers found two gerbils dead and euthanized a gerbil
with an illness.
“I am angry that no one is really talking about this,” Potter said. “I live
on a farm and some of the issues Tech is having could easily be fixed. I
hope they start following policies and get workers the proper training they
need to take care of the animals.”
Copyright © 1998-2024 SAEN Stop Animal Exploitation Now. All rights reserved. All content copyright S.A.E.N. unless otherwise noted. May be copied only for personal use or by not-for-profit organizations to promote compassionate and responsible living. All copied and reprinted material must contain proper credits and web site link SAEN.
Fair Use Notice: This document, and others on our web site, may contain copyrighted material whose use has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owners. We believe that this not-for-profit, educational use on the Web constitutes a fair use of the copyrighted material (as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law). If you wish to use this copyrighted material for purposes of your own that go beyond fair use, you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.
The "SAEN" web site is sponsored by The Mary T. and Frank L. Hoffman Family Foundation and all-creatures.org
Thank you for visiting SAENONLINE.ORG.
