LTE: Animal research isn’t ‘wasteful government spending’
Contrary to the beliefs held by the animal rights group White Coat Waste Project, animal studies — which benefit humans and animals alike — are far from “wasteful government spending.”
The proof is not hard to find. We need only reflect on the past 12 months. Research in mice, rats, monkeys, hamsters and other animals revealed critical information to help us combat COVID-19. Millions of Americans are being safely vaccinated in record time thanks to decades of research that resulted in a remarkable new method for developing vaccines using snippets of RNA. Read more.
WI ranks among worst states for dog experiments
The Humane Society of the United States published a recent report listing Wisconsin in the top five of worst states for dog experiments. Read more.
Opinion: COVID-19 Is an Unprecedented Tragedy; It Also Made Medical History
Written by Paula Clifford
Throughout 2020 and the initial weeks of 2021, we’ve all had an unwanted, front seat view of a deadly pandemic. But at the same time, we can’t ignore the fact that we’re also witnessing history-making medical achievements. Read more.
COVID-19 Is an Unprecedented Tragedy; It Also Made Medical History
Written by Paula Clifford
Throughout 2020 and the initial weeks of 2021, we’ve all had an unwanted, front seat view of a deadly pandemic. But at the same time, we can’t ignore the fact that we’re also witnessing history-making medical achievements. Read more.
Chimpanzee sanctuaries are under fire. Can a new science-based tool improve ape welfare?
MORGANTON, GEORGIA—On a chilly morning in early October, primatologist Steve Ross drives up to a chain-link gate blocking a narrow dirt road in northern Georgia. He steps out of his car into a swath of the Blue Ridge Mountains and watches the cresting Sun illuminate low fog on the wooded hills. “When I went to Tanzania,” he says, thinking back on the first time he saw wild chimpanzees, “it was just like this.” Read more.
Letter: Animal research needed in developing virus vaccines
Regarding Tony Messenger’s column “Animal advocacy group targets dog experiments at St. Louis VA” (Oct. 30): There are several major flaws with the picture being painted by animal rights activists opposed to studies at the St. Louis Veterans Administration that benefit veterans and others. Furthermore, it’s disappointing that Messenger did not address these issues in his recent column. Read more.
Are there ethical ways to use animals in medical research?
This topic can get emotional: Should animals be used in medical research? Now recently I aired an interview that was critical of the Veterans Health Administration for its use of cats in research experiments related to the bodily functions of paraplegics. VHA did submit a rebuttal statement but the agency has not responded to requests for an interview. Read more.
UTHSC rebuffs lab animal watchdog; says it reported lapses
A watchdog group for the safety of laboratory animals says the University of Tennessee Health Science Center tolerates abuse, sending a signal that the cruelty results in “slap on the wrist” for researchers who go on to profit from their work. Read more.
Letter to the Editor: The VA’s Research in Animals.
It’s truly shameful when special interest groups try to trick Americans into supporting their causes by distorting reality and leaving out inconvenient truths. One such example is the recent letter to the editor from the animal rights lobbying group White Coat Waste Project. They say they’re fighting “wasteful spending” at the Department of Veterans Affairs. But if these lobbyists are successful, those injured while serving our country, along with many other American citizens in need, will be hurt. Read more.
Allegations Swirl Around The Care Of Chimpanzees At Project Chimps, As reported In Animal Wildlife Watch
Care provided to chimpanzees at Project Chimps, a sanctuary for chimpanzees located in Georgia, has come under fire by “[m]ore than 20 former staffers and volunteers,” as reported by Rachel Fobar in Animal Wildlife Watch on July 8, 2020. “Wildlife watch is an investigative reporting project between National Geographic Society and National Geographic Partners.” Read more.