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Reports Letter to Charles River Laboratories Requesting an Inspection of Animals in their Facilities
3 May 2007 James C. Foster Mr. Foster, I am contacting you because I am very concerned about the animals
within Charles River Laboratories. As you know, the USDA/APHIS/AC is charged with enforcing the Animal
Welfare Act in the United States, and this responsibility includes
animal laboratories. The USDA publishes the results of their efforts
every year. During the last five years violations of the Animal Welfare
Act (AWA) by laboratories have increased by 90%. Clearly, the USDA is
not doing their job and protecting animals adequately. Charles River uses a significant number of animals in
experimentation. I am very concerned for the safety and well-being of
these animals based on the fact that the federal agency which is charged
with their protection is clearly not performing adequately. I am also
very concerned about the animals at all Charles River facilities because
the animal care at Charles River has been shown to be inadequate by
government reports. These reports document 22 violations of the Animal
Welfare Act (AWA) at Charles River facilities in 2005. It is very clear
that your facilities in Massachusetts and Nevada have failed to follow
federal regulations and I feel it is necessary to verify that an effort
is being made to improve the conditions for the animals. In many instances animal research is funded by the National
Institutes of Health whose budget is based upon the use of federal tax
dollars. As a result, all citizens of the United States have a direct
interest in both the enforcement of the Animal Welfare Act and the
utilization of federal funds for animal experimentation. Therefore, I feel compelled to ask to perform an inspection of all
Charles River Laboratories research facilities that utilize animals in
any way to insure that animals within your labs are being treated
adequately and to assess the status of your facility regarding adherence
to the AWA. Many laboratories across the U.S. typically give access to
the general public, so I do not see how this request could be a problem. Additionally, since I am a graduate of an accredited Animal Health
Technology program at the University of Cincinnati, I am certain that I
will be able to abide by all requirements for sterility. However, I would like to make something clear about this inspection
request. I want to see all animals at your facility as fully as
possible. Internet resources now make recent government reports about
your facility available to the public, and so I have a good idea of how
many animals you lab typically handles. Also, since the general public has a clear interest in what takes
place in federally funded laboratories, I would like to have the ability
to bring members of the news media with me so that the tour may be made
available to the public. I appreciate your cooperation regarding this tour, and I expect to
receive a response within 5 business days. In addition to the above address, I can be reached by email at: [email protected]
or by telephone at: 513-575-5517. With Respect For All Life,
Michael A. Budkie, A.H.T.,
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