PETA Files Federal Complaint Over Alleged Animal Welfare Violations, Releases Disturbing Video
For Immediate Release:
December 5, 2011
Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382
Everett, Wash. -- A whistleblower at Shin Nippon Biomedical Laboratories USA (SNBL) has alerted PETA to the fact that monkeys in the laboratory are handled recklessly, terrorized, confined alone to individual cages, forced to endure a steady stream of frigid chemicals dripped into their veins, and left to suffer from untreated wounds. In response, PETA has filed a complaint with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) summarizing these apparent violations of the federal Animal Welfare Act. The whistleblower also supplied PETA with shocking photos and haunting video footage of terrified monkeys, which PETA has published at PETA.org/SNBL.
"With this video, the public can plainly see what desolate, traumatized lives of deprivation these monkeys lead," says PETA Vice President Kathy Guillermo. "We're calling on the USDA to launch an immediate investigation and hold SNBL accountable if these very serious allegations of animal abuse are borne out."
This is the first time that an insider has leaked photos and video footage from the facility, although SNBL has a long history of animal welfare violations and previously garnered public criticism when a whistleblower released evidence that a monkey had been scalded to death when her cage was put into a high-temperature cage washer while she was still in it. The current whistleblower's allegations include the following:
- Workers handled monkeys so violently that they suffered bloodied noses, broken fingers, and bent and deformed tails. Employees banged loudly on the monkeys' cages to frighten and intimidate them into silence.
- Monkeys were attached to their cages with a metal tether through which ice-cold chemicals were continuously dripped into their veins for months. The monkeys were so cold that they shivered and their teeth chattered nonstop.
- Blood was drawn from monkeys so frequently that their limbs became swollen, red, and bruised and their veins were damaged. The monkeys screamed as workers poked and dug around in their limbs to find new veins.
- Monkeys were tied for many hours in restraint chairs that completely immobilized their arms and legs and injected with drugs over the course of the day. The monkeys fought continuously against the restraints for hours; some of them collapsed and never recovered.
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