Med School Cited for Having Given Inadequate Veterinary Care to Monkey Who Was Found Dead in His Cage
For Immediate Release:
May 24, 2012
Contact:
Kristin Richards 202-483-7382
Galveston, Texas -- In response to a March 2012 complaint filed by PETA regarding apparent abuse of animals at the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB), the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has cited UTMB for three new violations of the federal Animal Welfare Act (AWA), including for failing to give pain relief to a sheep who had been intentionally burned on more than 20 percent of her body and failing to give adequate veterinary care to an emaciated, dehydrated monkey who languished for days in his cage until he finally died. The complaint was based on internal documents that PETA obtained through a Texas Freedom of Information Act request that UTMB originally denied but that the Texas attorney general ordered it to comply with in 2011.
"Not only does UTMB intentionally burn, mutilate, and sicken thousands of animals, it is also neglecting to alleviate these animals' immense suffering," says PETA Vice President of Laboratory Investigations Kathy Guillermo. "It is shameful that PETA has to scrutinize UTMB's internal records and file complaints with the government to get a facility that receives tens of millions of dollars in taxpayer money each year to follow the law."
A previous complaint by PETA—which was filed in 2011 after a UTMB whistleblower reported that dogs, monkeys, sheep, mice, and other animals were being neglected, denied veterinary care, and handled and cared for by improperly trained staff—also led to citations for four AWA violations this past September. The USDA's investigation into UTMB is ongoing.
For more information, please visit PETA.org.