UCONN ANIMAL RIGHTS

New site

2006-11-13T16:23:00.000-08:00

Visit UCHCKILLSMONKEYS.COM for updated information about the campaign.

One more NPLW protest!

2006-10-15T19:31:00.000-07:00

***NATIONAL PRIMATE LIBERATION WEEK***

Come speak out for animals in labs!!

October 18, 2006
10:00 am

BOEHRINGER INGELHEIM
900 Ridgebury Road
Ridgefield, CT

Join us this Wednesday to protest the foremost violator of the Animal Welfare Act in Connecticut (4th nationally!!), pharmaceutical and chemical manufacturer/developer Boehringer Ingelheim. The May 2005 USDA Inspection Report from the facility revealed 19 violations of the Animal Welfare Act related to improper veterinary care, housing and oversight procedures. The USDA inspector concluded that

"animals died as a result of the negligent actions of some employees."

You can view the actual report here and here.

In addition to their blatant disregard for animal protection legislation, these scoundrels are one of the corporate sponsors of the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act. In case you're unfamilair with the legislation, click the link above to see how companies like B.I. are snuggling up with the Bush administration in order to pass this unconstitutional legislation that will make effective protesting illegal!

Pictures to prove it.

2006-10-15T18:53:00.000-07:00

Photo from Friday 10/13 demo at the University of CT-Storrs.

Speak up for animals in CT labs!!

2006-10-10T18:37:00.000-07:00

*****NATIONAL PRIMATE LIBERATION WEEK 2006*****

Read a great article about the shortcomings of research on nonhuman primates here.

Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt states "Currently, nine out of ten experimental drugs fail in clinical studies because we cannot accurately predict how they will behave in people based on laboratory and animal studies." Read about the need to focus on human clinical trials here.

Below is information about the primate vivisection that occurs at facilities in Connecticut and information on how to contact the relevant parties at each (email addresses, sample letters, etc). Facility info is separated by double dotted lines.
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UNIVERSITY OF CONNECTICUT HEALTH CENTER
263 Farmington Ave
Farmington, CT 06030
www.uchc.edu

In November 2005 and March 2006, the USDA inspected and cited the lab of Dr. David Waitzman at the UConn Heath Center for an array of violations of the federal Animal Welfare Act (see right). Documents have confirmed that these improprieties led directly to the death of a young monkey named Cornelius, who suffered from a stroke as well as unexpected tremors and seizures for over 6 months (after arriving from Covance) at the UCHC before finally succumbing to a grand mal seizure and cardiac arrest while strapped in an experiment chair.

The USDA report came after Dr. Peter Deckers, Vice President of Health Affairs at UCHC, defended Waitzman in a January statement professing that he and his staff conducted "a thorough review" of the research and found it to be compliant with all internal and external policies and protocols related to the use of animals in experimentation. A similar statement was made again by UConn President Philip Austin in his May 2006 letter to the university community. Despite these disingenous claims and federal citations, no one has been held accountable and the research continues today.

In addition to being cruel, the research is neither necessary nor useful for the treatment of any degenerative human neurological disorder. The anatomical differences between humans and monkeys are vast. Plus, even in healthy macaques, confining and restraining them confounds any neurological data researchers collect. As a testament to all of this, Waitzman has not produced one piece of clinically relevant data in over 15 years of tax-funded research.

Given the modern technological advancements in the study of neuroscience, non-invasive, non-animal alternatives now exist as replacements for the archaic research being conducting at the UCHC. However, Dr. Waitzman and the UCHC administration have ignored our best efforts, and the suggestions of their own internal oversight committee, to introduce them to humane alternatives to the fruitless work being funded by our tax dollars as U.S. citizens and CT residents.

Ending NHP research would benefit human medicine by halting the flow of unreliable data from it, and by diverting research funds to more appropriate and promising methods. These include batteries of human-based tests that provide reliable and relevant information on which to base further research and translate laboratory findings to the clinic: microarrays and other DNA technologies; proteomics and metabolomics; mathematical and computer modelling; epidemiology; human clinical research; myriad in vitro molecular biological techniques; microfluidics devices; scanning technologies, microdosing etc.... in short, technologies that have demonstrably contributed to human medicine.

WHAT CAN YOU DO?
Two more monkeys, Lips and Mowgli, are still alive inside the facility but will face the same fate as Cornelius if we don’t intervene now. Join the 4,000+ people who’ve voiced their opposition to this work and inform the UCHC that, as a taxpayer and person who respects good science and the well-being of nonhuman animals, you request they halt this mislead research immediately:

Dr. Peter Deckers
860-679-2594
deckers@nso2.uchc.edu

Dr. David Waitzman
waitzman@nso2.uchc.edu
860-679-4313
http://grad.uchc.edu/phdfaculty/waitzman.html

Jason Cromer
Graduate Assistant to Waitzman
Cromer@neuron.uchc.edu
860-679-4313
http://neuroscience.uchc.edu/Students/Cromer.html

William Loftus, Ph.D.
Instructor, Lab assistant to Waitzman
Phone 860-679-2549
loftus@neuron.uchc.edu

SAMPLE LETTER/EMAIL:

Dr. Peter Deckers
Office of the Executive Vice President
263 Farmington Avenue
Farmington, CT 06030

Dear Dr. Austin,

Thank you for your time. In light of the recent misconduct uncovered by the University of Connecticut Animal Rights Collective, as a taxpayer and person who abhors cruelty, I am requesting that the two rhesus monkeys being held captive at the UConn Health Center be rehabilitated and relocated to an accredited sanctuary immediately. Any claims the University has made about their proper treatment of these animals have been completely discredited since the release of the March 2006 USDA report.

Furthermore, I request that a permanent moratorium be placed on the use of all nonhuman primates in all biomedical research at all University-affiliated facilities. Every area of research in which NHPs have been used provides evidence against its utility. As a forerunner in progressive science, it is the University's obligation to employ ethical, humane research practices. The use of nonhuman primates for experimentation, in any capacity, is a clear violation of this imperative, as their capacity for suffering is undeniable. Furthermore, it is abundantly clear that researchers in David Waitzman's lab are unable to abide by even the most rudimentary animal protection guidelines.

I look forward to the announcement of a positive resolution to this violence.

Sincerely,

XXXXXXXXX
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BRISTOL-MYERS SQUIBB
5 Research Pkwy
Wallingford, CT 06492

Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMS) currently confines over 1,000 nonhuman primates that are the offspring of wild-caught monkeys from the jungles of Southeast Asia and Africa who have been imported by commercial dealers and breeders in the U.S. These monkeys are separated from their families, confined in small crates with little to no food or water and no veterinary care and shipped around the world. Many die in the process. In addition to monkeys, BMS also confines hundreds of beagles, and thousands more guinea pigs, hamsters, rabbits and mice.

Countless animals at BMS’s labs are given dangerous experimental drugs for which analgesics to subdue the pain and distress they cause are never administered. In the name of “good science,” these animals are left to die as researchers stand by and record the effects.

Furthemore, on May 2, 2006, according to industry journal "Medpage Today", Bristol-Myers Squibb "..... will no longer manufacture or sell Tequin (gatafloxacin)." This is an antibiotic that, after undergoing a battery of animal and clinical trials, has been linked to hyperglycemic coma in diabetics and elderly patients. The company is however did not remove Tequin from pharmacy shelves. Instead, out of fear of lost profits, they continue to put an extremely vulnerable portion of the human population in danger. Another drug, Sustiva, was also deemed safe after extensive animal tests and human clinical trials, but was eventually relabeled after it was shown to cause birth defects when ingested by pregnant women.

Add to that BMS’s complicity in the killing of an additional 500 animals every day by their continued customer relationship with contract research firm Huntingdon Life Sciences (HLS) whose employees have been videotaped punching puppies in the face. Companies like BMS are signing the contracts and cutting the checks that allow these massive killings to continue.

WHAT CAN YOU DO?
Please tell Bristol-Myers that you will continue to contact them until they cut their ties to Huntingdon Life Sciences and to stop testing on animals.

Peter R. Dolan, Chief Executive Officer
peter.dolan@bms.com

All relevant company e-mails:

peter.dolan@bms.com , lamberto.andreotti@bms.com , stephen.bear@bms.com , andrew.bodnar@bms.com , andrew.bonfield@bms.com , john.celentano@bms.com , carlo.denotaristifani@bms.com , wendy.dixon@bms.com , anthony.hooper@bms.com, tamar.howson@bms.com , john.mcgoldrick@bms.com , susan.oday@bms.com ,
elliot.sigal@bms.com , jonathan.sprole@bms.com , richard.willard@bms.com , richard.wolgemuth@bms.com , david.zabor@bms.com , robert.zito@bms.com

SAMPLE LETTER/EMAIL:

Peter R. Dolan
Chief Executive Officer
Bristol-Myers Squibb
345 Park Avenue
New York, NY 10154
212-546-4000

Dear Mr. Dolan,

Thank you for your time. In light of the recent revelations about the potential dangers of Tequin and Sustiva, drugs that were intensively tested in nonhuman animals and humans before hitting pharmacy shelves, as a citizen concerned with the health of animals both human and non-, I request that BMS immediately halt research being conducted on nonhuman primates. The data collected from nonhuman animals confined in labs is severely compromised due not only to the psychological and physical distress the animal experience, but the fundamental differences in our physiology and metabolic structure. Such differences lead researchers to deem drugs safe for humans, when in fact they are not.

Furthermore, I ask that you sever all ties with Huntingdon Life Sciences, a company whose misconduct and maltreatment of animals has been uncovered by a variety of animal advocacy groups in five separate undercover investigations.

As a forerunner in progressive science, it is BMS's obligation to employ ethical, humane research practices and to pave the way for others in the industry. The use of nonhuman primates for experimentation, in any capacity, is a clear violation of this imperative, as their capacity for suffering is undeniable.

I look forward to the announcement of a positive resolution to this violence.

Sincerely,

XXXXXXXXX

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YALE UNIVERSITY
300 George St
New Haven, CT

Yale University currently confines over 150 nonhuman primates that are used in federally-funded experiments that entail inducing diabetes, inducing cocaine and amphetamine addiction, infecting them with SIV (monkeys can’t get HIV or AIDS), exposing pregnant females to high levels of radiation, and drilling into the skulls of otherwise perfectly healthy monkeys. Yale also sponsors federally-funded research overseas where monkeys are caught in the wild, have their eyes sewn shut, are castrated, afflicted with Parkinson’s, addicted to cocaine and PCP and implanted with human brain cells. In 2005, the university received over $300 million in funding from the National Institutes of Health, a large portion of which is used for vivisection. ALL of the individuals used in experiments at Yale are confined in small cages, deprived of sufficient social interaction and killed when the researchers complete their work.

Yale is a private school and not accountable, to a large degree, to the public for research that they conduct. So, rather than writing directly toYale's administration, I suggest writing to your legislators to request a General Accounting Office (GAO) investigation of National Institutes of Health (NIH) funded animal experimentation at Yale and other facilities.

SAMPLE LETTER/EMAIL:

The Honorable ___________
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, D.C. 20515
202-224-3121
www.house.gov to locate your Rep.

Senator ____________________
U.S. Senate
Washington, D.C. 20510
202-224-3121
www.senate.gov to locate your Senator

Dear Sen/Rep___________,

Thank you for your time. As a taxpayer and person who abhors cruelty and values good scientific practice, I writing to ask that you request a General Accounting Office (GAO) investigation of National Institutes of Health (NIH) funded animal experimentation at Yale, the University of Connecticut Health Center and other facilities that confine nonhuman primates for research. At Yale University, for example, there are currently over 150 nonhuman primates that are used in federally-funded experiments that entail inducing diabetes, inducing cocaine and amphetamine addiction, infecting them with SIV (monkeys can’t get HIV or AIDS) exposing pregnant females to high levels of radiation, and drilling into the skulls of otherwise perfectly healthy monkeys. The University of CT Health Center's nonhuman primate lab was cited for misconduct in Nov 2005 and March 2006 for circumstances related to the death of a monkey at the facility. Yet, the research continues. Yale alone received over $336 million in federal grants from the NIH in 2005, while the UCHC received $61 million. All of this, despite the overwhelming data available about the futility of animal models for developing safe drugs and as proxies for human maladies.

While I am proud to live in a state that is becoming increasingly prominent in the field of biomedical research, I am confident that bigger strides could be made by employing non-animal methods such as in vitro, clinical and epidemiological studies on fully consenting humans. It is the job of our legislators to make sure funds are effectively allocated to research that will truly benefit humankind, while respecting the interests of other individuals, human and non-.

The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) estimates that for every 1,000 drugs that is tested on animals, only one reaches human clinical trials. Of these, only 1 in 5 are eventually approved by the FDA. That’s a failure rate larger than 99.9%!

These findings were not anomalies. In January 2006, U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Michael Leavitt expressed the need to encourage earlier use of human drug trials stating that, “Currently, nine out of ten experimental drugs fail in clinical studies because we cannot accurately predict how they will behave in people based on laboratory and animal studies."

As a forerunners in progressive science, it is our nation's obligation to fund ethical, humane research programs in our pursuit of new knowledge. The use of nonhuman primates for experimentation, in any capacity, is a clear violation of this imperative, as their capacity for suffering is undeniable. Furthermore, it is abundantly clear that researchers in many labs are unable to abide by even the most rudimentary animal protection guidelines and that much research occurring at different institutions across the country is duplicative in nature, which seriously compromises the limited funds we have to find effective cures for many grave human illnesses.

I look forward to the announcement of a positive resolution to this matter.

Sincerely,

XXXXXXXXX

We're back.

2006-10-09T17:40:00.000-07:00

Due to some technical difficulties, our homepage at www.uconnanimalrights.org isn't able to be updated right now. So, in the meantime, we'll be utilizing this blog to post information about the various campaigns we have going here in CT.

Thanks for visiting.

-Justin

April 4th Presentation and Luncheon

2006-03-29T07:12:00.000-08:00

Tuesday, April 4th, 2006
12p-1:30p
University of Connecticut-Storrs
@ Student Union Theatre

"Stop the Monkey Business"

Find out what's wrong with primate research at the
UConn Health Center in a 30-min presentation by a
renowned neurologist, primatologist and two animal
rights activist. Panel will be followed by a brief
video clip and FREE FULLY CATERED VEGAN LUNCHEON.
Open to the public.

www.uconn.edu/directions

Funeral Demo Rescheduled

2006-03-11T17:30:00.000-08:00


***FUNERAL DEMO @ THE UCONN HEALTH CENTER***
In memory of two rhesus monkeys, Cornelius and Aries,
who were both murdered at UCHC's Neuroscience lab by
David Waitzman and Jason Cromer.

Monday, March 20, 2006
4p-5p
at UConn Health Center's Academic Entrance (see link for map below)

Wear black and dress warmly. Park on the street as you drive up the
hill.

http://www.uchc.edu/directions/

Background:

Right now, there are two rhesus monkeys being held at
UCONN’s Farmington campus Health Center for use by the
Neuroscience Department.  Each individual has had a
large hole drilled into the top of his/her head and
has been fitted with a permanent data collection chamber
atop the wound. Furthermore, small stainless steel springs
have been implanted in their eyes. The researchers, Dr.
David Waitzman and graduate student Jason Cromer, then
restrains them in a straightjacket, intentionally inflicts
damage to the brain and measures neurological activity
related to eye movements.  At the end of the study, the
monkeys are killed and their brains removed. Recently,
one 7-year old monkey named Cornelius died tragically
during the experiment from a grand mal seizure and heart
attack.

Dr. Waitzman’s protocol expires on March 31, 2006 at which
time we are requesting that the two remaining rhesus monkeys
be rehabilitated and relocated to an accredited sanctuary.
Furthermore, we are requesting that a permanent moratorium
be placed on the use of nonhuman primates in all research at
University-affiliated facilities.

Coverage of UConn Board of Trustees Meeting

2006-03-03T14:12:00.000-08:00

We apologize for having to cancel the 3/2 demo at UCHC, but
the weather would have interfered with our success. It is going
to be rescheduled for the third week of the month.

Below are two news stories covering our presentation at the 3/1
UConn Board of Trustees meeting:

"Students Air Ethics Complaints" by Grace Merritt (Hartford Courant)

The Chronicle 3/2/06

"UC criticized for monkey business"
By SEAN O’LEARY Chronicle Staff Writer

 STORRS — The controversy regarding research on
rhesus monkeys at the University of Connecticut Health
Center continued Wednesday during UConn’s board of
trustees meeting.
  Justin Goodman, a graduate student and
president of the university’s Animal Rights
Collective, told trustees it was time for UConn to end
the research.
  “ We are looking for the dissolution of the
nonhuman research,” said Goodman, who added nearly
4,000 signatures and “ dozens” of letters from animal
rights group had been collected.
  In particular, Goodman spoke about one monkey
— “ Cornelius” — who died during the brain research
conducted by Dr. David Waitzman.
  Goodman said he reviewed the data collected
from the research and shared what he termed “
disturbing” evidence to the trustees.
  According to Goodman, Cornelius was in “
perfect health” before arriving at the UConn Health
Center, where he was subjected to stainless steel
being drilled into his head while in a straitjacket.
  Cornelius, said Goodman, also suffered from
vomiting and seizures until he died after cardiac
arrest — a fate the other three monkeys in the
research have avoided. “ He lived a miserable life at
UConn,” said Goodman. “ It’s inconceivable that he went
through life like this.”
  Goodman, who previously had protested during
the opening of UConn’s 125th anniversary celebration
by chaining himself to a fence, said a home has been
secured if the monkeys are released.
  “ One monkey was murdered as part of this
study,” he said.
  In response, Connecticut United for Research
Excellence, Inc. President and Chief Executive Officer
Paul Pescatello read a letter to the board urging the
continued support of animal research.
  “ Dr. Waitzman’s brain research will
contribute to a better understanding of both the
brain’s mechanism and its connection to the body’s
visual systems,” he said. “ As science progresses, it
may be possible to reduce the numbers of animals used
in some research work and we look forward to that
day.”
  Trustees were also given a response to the
protest from the UConn Health Center, located in
Farmington, that stated it is “ committed” to
compliance with animal welfare laws and that “ all
research” is regulated and monitored by several
government agencies.
“ We are keenly aware of the controversy surrounding
the use of non- human primates in medical research,”
read the statement, “ and recognize the protestors’
right to express their views, provided it is done in a
lawful manner that does not disrupt our campus.”

Action Alert!

2006-02-24T11:35:00.000-08:00

***FUNERAL DEMO @ THE UCONN HEALTH CENTER***
In memory of two rhesus monkeys, Cornelius and Aries,
who were both murdered at UCHC's Neuroscience lab by
David Waitzman and Jason Cromer.

Thursday, March 2, 2006
4p-6p
at UConn Health Center's Main Entrance (corner of
Main Rd and East Rd. once you turn in off of
Farmington Ave.)

Wear black and dress warmly.

http://www.uchc.edu/directions/

Background:

Right now, there are two rhesus monkeys being held at
UCONN’s Farmington campus Health Center for use by the
Neuroscience Department.  Each individual has had a
large hole drilled into the top of his/her head and
has been fitted with a permanent data collection chamber
atop the wound. Furthermore, small stainless steel springs
have been implanted in their eyes. The researchers, Dr.
David Waitzman and graduate student Jason Cromer, then
restrains them in a straightjacket, intentionally inflicts
damage to the brain and measures neurological activity
related to eye movements.  At the end of the study, the
monkeys are killed and their brains removed. Recently,
one 7-year old monkey named Cornelius died tragically
during the experiment from a grand mal seizure and heart
attack.

Dr. Waitzman’s protocol expires on March 31, 2006 at which
time we are requesting that the two remaining rhesus monkeys
be rehabilitated and relocated to an accredited sanctuary.
Furthermore, we are requesting that a permanent moratorium
be placed on the use of nonhuman primates in all research at
University-affiliated facilities.

Weekly Update

2006-02-03T10:53:00.000-08:00

Today we choreographed a national call-in to UConn in support of our campaign. We have our fingers crossed that many of you took a second and called President Philip Austin to express your displeasure with his school's research practices. If you missed it, please feel free to call over there anytime:

Pres. Philip Austin, University of Connecticut
860-486-2333 (if busy- try 2337)

Letters have also gone out this week to those who fund this nonhuman primate research, the National Institute of Health and National Eye Institute, asking them to reevaluate the merits of David Waitzman's work.

Below are this week's media clips:

"Monkey Business" by Alistair Highet (Hartford Advocate)

"The Battle Continues" by Brittany Dorn (UConn Daily Campus)

(There's also a NY Times article from Sunday that I will try to get up here soon.)

****SUPPORT THE SHAC7 ****

Press Coverage of Wednesday's Protest

2006-01-27T12:54:00.000-08:00

On Wednesday, January 25th, the UConn Animal Rights Collective and roughly a dozen members of several other CT area animal rights groups protested the university's 125th anniversary celebration event at which president Philip Austin was speaking.

Historically, UConn is an agriculture school and has been built on the backs of and with the blood of untold numbers exploited, tortured animals. Even today, in addition to the primates we are trying to rescue, there are thousands of innocent animals whose rights are being violated in labs and barns at UConn. This is nothing to celebrate and we took this opportunity to make this clear to the administration and it's supporters.

"2 Monkeys Die in UConn Research" by Grace Merritt
(Hartford Courant)

"Animal Rights Protest Carried Out Appropriately" by Kareem Mohni
(UConn Daily Campus)

UCONN Statement: One monkey dies, another killed

2006-01-23T20:27:00.000-08:00

Peter Deckers, VP for Health Affairs @ UConn Health Center, released a report today to the President of the University, Philip Austin, regarding the primate research currently being conducted at UConn. In this letter, it was revealed that one monkey has recently died during the study and another was killed as part of the research protocol. The University's claim that it is properly caring for these primates is completely discredited now due to this revelation. Furthermore, they have yet to respond to any of the claims we've made regarding alternative methods or the ethical questions arising out of the use of nonhuman animals for biomedical research. (Click on images to view the full report.)

The administration seems to have no intention of halting the research and therefore our efforts will be stepped up a bit as of this week including daily protests in front of the President's office.

Email and call all parties at UConn responsible for the exploitation and murder of these animals and let them know that you want the two remaining monkeys released from this living hell. (See below for template)


UCONN Faculty and Administration Contacts
========================================== 
Dr. Philip Austin
President of University of CT
Philip.austin@uconn.edu 
(860) 486-2333/2337  

Dr. Peter Deckers
Executive VP for Health Affairs @ UConn Health Center 
860-679-2100
DECKERS@NSO.UCHC.EDU 

The monkeys have died directly at the hands of the two men below:  

Dr. David Waitzman 
Department of Neuroscience 
waitzman@nso2.uchc.edu 
860-679-4313
http://grad.uchc.edu/phdfaculty/waitzman.html  

Jason Cromer
Graduate Assistant to Waitzman
Cromer@neuron.uchc.edu 
860-679-4313
http://neuroscience.uchc.edu/Students/Cromer.html

--------------------------------------------------------------- 
COPY AND PASTE THE LETTER BELOW:

Dear Dr. Austin, Dr. Deckers, Dr. Waitzman and Mr. Cromer:

Thank you for your time. As a person who abhors cruelty, I am requesting that the two remaining rhesus monkeys being held captive at the UConn Health Center be rehabilitated and relocated to an accredited sanctuary upon the expiration of Dr. David Waitzman's protocol on March 31, 2006. Furthermore, I request that a detailed report be released regarding the untimely death of one of the monkeys being used in Waitzman's lab. The University's claim that it is properly caring for these animals is completely discredited now due to the revelation that one of the monkeys died during the course of the study. I also request that, from April 2006 forward, a permanent moratorium be placed on the use of all nonhuman primates in biomedical research at all University-affiliated facilities.

As a forerunner in progressive science, it is the University's obligation to employ ethical, humane research practices. The use of nonhuman primates for experimentation, in any capacity, is a clear violation of this imperative, as their capacity for suffering and the harm being inflicted upon them is undeniable.

I look forward to the announcement of a positive resolution to this violence.

Sincerely,

Media coverage of Tuesday's demo

2006-01-12T09:10:00.000-08:00

Photo from Tuesday's demo at the UConn Health Center. Published by the Hartford Courant on Wednesday January 11th on the front page of the Connecticut section. NBC30 also featured the story on the 5 o'clock news.

Primate Freedom Project

2005-12-22T16:40:00.000-08:00

The fine folks at the Primate Freedom Project have posted information about our campaign on their site alongside the other wonderful work they've been doing. The page they've created for us has extensive info as well as all of the contact information and letter templates necessary to get in touch with UConn's administration. Please visit their site and support their efforts:

http://www.primatefreedom.com/uconn4.shtml

Visitation Request #2

2005-12-21T18:47:00.000-08:00

We have two important pieces of news to report:

#1
I just wanted to inform our supporters that my second request to visit the primate lab at the University of Connecticut Health Center was denied yesterday, despite my cordial meeting with the President of the university. This most recent request was denied and the administrator referred me to his last denial from November the 4th, which stated that I was not being allowed visitation rights for "security" and "safety" reasons. We can be sure that it is certainly not for the security and safety of the four rhesus monkeys. The lack of transparency to me, and the public, on the part of these researchers is grounds for suspicion, to say the least.

#2
In other news, upon closer examination of primate research recently published by David Waitzman at UCHC, it seems as though the four monkeys that we are fighting for are scheduled to be killed and decapitated at the end of the current study. This revelation certainly increases the urgency with which we need to pursue our campaign.

Once again, I must stress the importance of writing and emailing Philip Austin (see info and template below) and voicing your objection to what is going on.

For all innocent life,

Justin

Hartford Courant Follow-Up Story

2005-12-16T20:20:00.002-08:00

Hartford Courant Part II

FYI: I did not say that the research involved "vision."

Primate Campaign on NBC, NPR...SIGN ONLINE PETITION

2005-12-16T15:33:00.000-08:00

The UConn Animal Rights Collective's campaign to release
four rhesus monkeys from the school's Health Center was
featured on Thursday December 15 in the Hartford Courant,
NPR, and on NBC30 5:30 news.

Here is the link to the Courant story...
http://www.courant.com/news/local/hc-monkeys1215.
artdec15,0,3143538.story?coll=hc-headlines-local

The initial meeting with President Austin went well although
he seems in no rush to come to any resolution. But we will be
meeting again in the next few weeks after he receives a report
from the Health Center administration about the primate research.
So, we will keep the momentum going to turn the heat on a bit.
The monkeys' protocol ends on 3/31 and we need to keep the
pressure on in order to come to an agreement in enough time to
plan for the release.

How can you help, you ask? Well, there are a few ways. You can
begin by signing and spreading the online petition we've started
here. Send it to anyone in CT; friends, family, classmates:

http://www.petitiononline.com/ctmonkey/

Next, you can write University President Philip Austin and Health Center VP Dr. Peter Deckers an email stating that you are opposed to the use of nonhuman primates in research at the University of CT and would like the four rhesus monkeys at UCHC released. Feel free to copy and paste the text below:

philip.austin@uconn.edu, deckers@nso.uchc.edu

Dear Dr. Austin and Dr. Deckers:

Thank you for your time. As a member of the
University community/Connecticut resident, I support
the UConn Animal Rights Collective's request that the
rhesus monkeys being held captive at the UConn Health
Center be rehabilitated and relocated to an accredited
sanctuary upon the expiration of Dr. David Waitzman's
protocol on March 31, 2006.

Furthermore, I request that, from April 2006 forward,
a permanent moratorium be placed on the use of
nonhuman primates in all biomedical research at all
University-affiliated facilities. As a forerunner in
progressive science, it is the University's obligation
to employ ethical, humane research practices. The use
of nonhuman primates for experimentation, in any
capacity, is a clear violation of this imperative, as
their similarity to humans is undeniable.

I look forward to the announcement of a positive
resolution to the above matter.

Yours,

(insert name)

Some background on the beginnings of our campaign...

2005-11-07T06:05:00.000-08:00

Thanks for visiting the UConn Animal Rights Collective's Blog/Website where we'll be posting frequent updates about campus and regional goings-on as well as the status of our "Free UConn Primates" campaign. Below is an up-to-date overview of our group and this campaign:

The goal of our organization is to increase awareness about incidents and institutions that perpetuate animal suffering and to encourage people to consider the humane alternatives to participation in this exploitative activity.

Unfortunately, the only realm where alternatives are not explored, and
therefore not available to those opposing the exploitation of animals, is
that of science and medicine. The FDA requires that all drugs
be testing on animals before being tested on humans. Therefore, it is
part of the scientific culture to use animals as objects and scientific tools
without weighing the costs and benefits to the creatures involved. We do
not think that research on animals does not have the possibility for success
(arguments for and against can be made), but we do feel that the ends do
not justify the means. And since the structure of our legislation and of the
scientific enterprise encourages vivisection while trivializing the push for
humane alternatives, it is of great importance to groups like ours to monitor and work
toward the abolition of this abhorrent practice. Without going into too much detail, primates being used for
research are often captured in the wild, shipped here in the cargo stow of commercial airliners without veterinary
care, bred in captivity, caged and used in labs and eventually euthanized or sent to unaccredited sanctuaries
(which often end up being no more than roadside zoo).

Several weeks ago while perusing the USDA's 2004 annual report of lab animal populations (which
excludes over 90% of animals actually in labs because they aren't protected by any legislation), it came to
my attention that UCONN is holding captive (according to this report) three rhesus monkeys. After doing a
couple of internet searches and happening upon the University of CT Health Center's "primate care"
guidelines, it was obvious that the monkeys were held at the Farmington campus. However, this was the extent
of the information I could gather. As is normally the case with this type of research, very little knowledge
is available publicly about the kind of work being done in animal labs.

Realizing that there was a miniscule amount of information available to the public, I sent a very
benign (albeit vague) email to the head veterinarian over at the Health Center hoping to get some input as
to what was actually going on. I received an enthusiastic email back from the doctor with
specifically how many animals were there (4, not 3), what kind (rhesus monkeys), and what they were being
used for (exploratory neuroscience experiments). Below is a copy of the email:

"Justin,

The 3-4 rhesus monkeys that we have here at the UConn
Health Center are used in neuroscience studies
(Neurophysiology/anatomy). Animals learn
to respond in a specific way to a defined paradigm.
Once they know what to do electrophysiological
recordings are made from different areas of
the brain. These recordings are made on conscious
animals. In order to do that the animals have to have
permanent trepanation chambers implanted on their
heads.

When you do a survey please have a close look at the
holding conditions. Our monkeys are kept in structured
group runs of 15m3 and we only take them into a cage
to apprehend or treat them.

Good luck with your study and if you are in the
neighborhood you are well-come to visit us.

Peter Autenried"

In case you are unfamiliar with these procedures, trenpanation is the act of drilling holes directly
into the skull. These monkeys were then outfitted with chambers that collect data about brain activity.
As is obvious from Dr. Autenried's email, the research is basic, exploratory learning research. He seems to
glorify the holding facilities but is very casual about the use of trepanation chambers and failed to
mention that the animals are also subjected to food and water deprivation. Also note that I was invited
to visit but this invitation has since been revoked for "security purposes." I have an email documenting
this as well.

In response to this information coming to light, the UConn Animal Rights Collective decided to pen a
petition and collect the signatures of those who oppose this line of research and wish for the animals
to be released, rehabilitated and relocated and for future primate research to be banned at UConn. As of
this moment, we have collected 850+ signatures from students, faculty and other CT residents that oppose
the research being done. Once this number reaches 1000, we are going to present the issue to Philip
Austin here at UConn, Jodi Rell in Hartford, and Peter J. Deckers, the dean of the University of Connecticut
School of Medicine, in Farmington. Our campaign has drawn the attention of several prominent national
animal rights organizations and they have offered their support and services to promote our efforts.

Testing....

2005-11-07T06:03:00.000-08:00

Testing, testing, 1...2...3...