Today's roundtable discussion with activists Dr. Elliot Katz, Alex Hershaft, Chris Derose, and Alex Pacheco was the first in a series hosted by Dennis Kucinich called "Dialogue for Democracy. Dennis dicusses veganism, the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act and more. "You can link directly to the webcast via this link.
Read more!Thursday, November 29, 2007
Thursday, November 15, 2007
Boehringer fined $20,060 for animal cruelty
Boehringer fined $20,060 for animal cruelty
Pharmaceutical company acknowledges 'unacceptable' treatment of lab monkeys
By Susan Tuz
11/15/2007
RIDGEFIELD -- Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals Inc. acknowledged Wednesday that animal handling practices in its laboratory were "unacceptable" in several incidents that brought a $20,060 fine from the U.S. Department of Agriculture last year.
The incidents occurred in 2004 and included the death of a rhesus monkey that was mistakenly steam-washed and severe burns to the pads of another monkey that led to the amputation of several of the animal's digits.
Boehringer issued a statement Wednesday attributed to the company as a whole.
"In 2004, a USDA Inspection Report helped highlight areas where our animal handling practices were simply inadequate and the effects on animals were absolutely unacceptable," the statement reads. "We have done a great deal over the past several years to remedy the situation, including implementing a series of guidelines and safeguards, adding numerous improvements and upgrades to our facility, and increased staffing in an effort to prevent these incidents from occurring in the future."
"We feel confident that these measures will ensure that the issues raised in the 2004 report will not be repeated," the statement added.
When dealing with issues of animal injuries that involve animal rights organizations, the company does not name specific individuals in any way related to the incident, a spokesman said.
Documents received this month from the USDA after a Freedom of Information request from The News-Times in November 2006 also reveal that a dog in the Boehringer laboratory exhibited "unrelieved distress" following experiments on it in excess of USDA allowances.
"The combination of recurrent episodes of elevated body temperature with inappetance (a condition caused by an animal not getting enough nutrition) in Dog No. 1654 would be considered to be distressful to the animal," the May 4, 2005, report reads. The problem was corrected by July 1, 2005, the report added.
On April 5, 2004, a beagle was found dead in its
Documents Click to enlarge Click here to see the original News-Times letter requesting the records
Click to enlarge Click here to read the USDA's response
Click to enlarge Click here to read the USDA's full report on Boehringer Ingelheim (6.4 MB)
cage, the USDA report also said.
"The front half of the dog's body had passed through the vertical bars of the enclosure door and the animal was wedged between the bars," the report reads. "Modification to caging was made within one day after the dog was found dead."
The report goes on to cite a rhesus monkey found dead June 1, 2004, after its cage had been steam-washed at the laboratory. Three employees moving monkeys from cages to be cleaned and then running the cages through the steam cleaner did not seen the small monkey in the cage, Boehringer's inspection into the incident revealed.
On Sept. 14, 2004, a cynomolgus monkey was used in an experiment. Two days later it was noticed that skin had sloughed off its hand pads, and several digits had to be amputated.
It was determined that "thermal injury because of inappropriate use of supplemental heat sources during recovery from anesthesia" caused the injury, the USDA report reads.
"The animal was later identified as having an abnormal physical condition, but personnel failed to promptly notify the attending veterinarian," the USDA report said.
Boehringer's report on the incident said the employees involved were sanctioned, and action was taken from the time of the report to ensure similar incidents did not happen in the future.
On Oct. 30, 2004, a rhesus monkey was found dead in its cage following a toxicology study preparation five days earlier. It was determined the animal died from "self-inflicted trauma" resulting from the way it was handled, the Boehringer and USDA reports read.
Numerous minor violations in the storage of animal food and distress in primates were cited in the USDA report.
USDA spokesman Karen Eggert said Wednesday that a fine of $20,060 reflects "a number of violations. We fine up to $2,500 per violation."
USDA and Boehringer records reflect that the pharmaceutical company contacted the USDA itself when "noncompliance" with the Animal Welfare Act was found at the company.
"We have a lot of facilities that self-report when finding an employee was noncompliant, and that is the right thing to do," Eggert said. "We work with companies to ensure that they're comfortable reporting to us."
Eggert said the USDA responds to "a few hundred" animal abuse reports yearly. Not all of the reports end up being actual violations, but "we take all complaints of noncompliance seriously and ensure no harm or danger to animals is involved," she said.
Michael Budkie, executive director of SAEN (Stop Animal Exploitation Now), based in Cincinnati, reported the violations and the fine brought against Boehringer to the press.
"It's very important for the public to know about situations like this," he said Wednesday. "You have to wonder if they can't follow basic animal safety measures and you see them engaging in sloppy science ... what that means for the effect their practices could have on people who use their products."
Budkie also noted "when a primate is killed in a cage because employees can't check to make sure of the presence of the animal before putting the cage into the washing system, that's just plain carelessness."
He thinks the $20,060 fine Boehringer paid was inadequate, while noting that it is high for a USDA fine in such instances.
"If you had a speeding ticket and the fine was $3, would you care?" he asked, noting that with Boehringer's financial standing that is what the $20,060 fine amounted to.
Boehringer's statement Wednesday, along with acknowledging the "unacceptable" effects on animals, said "as required under current drug development laws and regulations, animal studies must be carried out as part of the drug development process."
"At Boehringer Ingelheim, we are committed to advancing the health of patients in the United States and around the world through innovation and scientific discovery," the statement added.
"The company takes all issues pertaining to animal research very seriously, and we are committed to the highest standards for the humane care and treatment of animals used throughout our laboratories."
Monday, November 12, 2007
Hartford Courant Op-Ed: 7 y.o. CT AR activist speaks up for animals.
Is An Animal A Thing? Or A Being?
By JAMPA WILLIAMS |and NOAH S.B. WILLIAMS
Hartford Courant Op-Ed
November 11, 2007
Recently, my son Noah ran afoul of his school's curriculum when he refused to classify an animal as a "thing" during a grammar lesson.
Thing, as in "person, place or thing," a time-worn method of identifying whether something is a noun. Noah, being 7 and an animal lover, would not back down and "correct" his classification of animals, which he felt should be regarded as "beings," and he was less than fully cordial when his teacher gently insisted he change his response. Noah felt that, rather than "persons, places and things," the classification system should be "Beings, Places and Things."As Noah's mother, it is my responsibility to instill in Noah the proper habit of cordiality and respect when disagreeing with others. I encouraged him to show greater respect for his teacher in the style of his response, but I also told him I was proud of him for speaking up on behalf of beings who cannot speak up on behalf of themselves.
Language is powerful. I am raising Noah with an abolitionist ethic. He is conscious of the vulnerability experienced by any being on this earth who is regarded as a thing, as an "it," rather than as a sacred companion in our midst.
To be regarded as a thing is to be regarded as an object lacking liberty, protection or rights. A being regarded as a "thing" or an "it" lives or dies, thrives or suffers, according to the consent or even whims of those who hold power over him or her. Often, human beings have bestowed and continue to bestow upon other human beings the classification of "it," and the results are, and always have been, horrific and unconscionable. Treating any sentient being as a "thing" or an "it" produces results no less horrific, no less cruel.
Noah wrote this essay when I encouraged him to find a positive way to express his beliefs. He wrote from the very heart of his heart, where his love for all beings warms his very existence.
As one of Noah's heroes, environmental activist Sarah Uhl wrote, after she read Noah's essay: "How far removed from the earth and our roots we have come if we cannot recognize that humans are animals and animals are beings!"
Here is Noah's essay.
Why Animals Should Not Be Called Things
By Noah S.B. Williams
Animals should not be called things because they are beings, not things.
Shame on the people who call animals things.
If I could I would give the person who first called animals things a talking-to. I would not call animals things.
Think about this. If you loved someone, would you call them a thing? I wish no one had ever called animals things.
Why would you call your pet a thing?
A rug or something is a thing, but not an animal. He or she is not a thing! This is not funny, it's all true. I would not lie to you about this. It's not a joke.
Do not lie to me, either.
Jampa Williams is a poet, writer and activist in West Hartford. Noah S.B. Williams is a second-grader and political activist in West Hartford.
Thursday, November 8, 2007
FREE showing of Peaceable Kingdom (A Tribe of Heart Documentary)
Come to a free showing of the documentary Peaceable Kingdom, Tuesday 11/13 at 6:10 pm in Room 129 of the Yale Law School!
The Yale Animal Rights Network, Yale Animal Legal Defense, and Yale Vegans are co-sponsoring a showing of the Tribe of Heart documentary Peaceable Kingdom on Tuesday, Nov. 13 at 6:10 pm in Room 129 at the Yale Law School (127 Wall Street). Snacks will be provided.
Peaceable Kingdom is a touching story of former animal farmers turned animal activists."Breaking generations of silence in the agricultural community, the film exposes the disparity between the storybook image of farming taught to us as children and the stark reality of today’s industrialized factory farms. Peaceable Kingdom explores the human-animal connection through the inspiring stories of former farmers and animal rescuers who find healing and hope when they open their hearts to abused animals saved from factory farms. Much more than an exposé, Peaceable Kingdom offers an uplifting message of compassion and respect for all living beings." (From the Speak Out for Species website)
For more information on this event or the Yale Animal Rights Network, contact Chelsea.
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
Herbivore Interview w/Justin Goodman
Connecticut activist Justin Goodman is interviewed in this month's issue of Herbivore Magazine about grassroots animal rights activism and the problems with animal testing. There are also interviews with Skinny Bitch author Rory Freedman and journalist Will Potter. If you enjoy it, subscribe!
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