Letter of Complaint to USDA About Primate Products, Inc., Miami, FL
Stop Animal Exploitation NOW!
S. A. E. N.
"Exposing the truth to wipe out animal experimentation"
Articles & Reports
1081-B St. Rt. 28 #280
Milford, Ohio 45150
513-575-5517
www.saenonline.org
August 30, 2010
Dr. Elizabeth Goldentyer 8/30/10
USDA/APHIS/AC
920 Main Campus Drive, Suite 2000
Raleigh, NC 27606
Dr. Goldentyer,
I am contacting you today because I have obtained extremely disturbing
information regarding the Primate Products Facility. This facility is registered
as both an animal dealer and a research facility. Their dealer license number is
93-b-0147. According to USDA documents, this company maintains two registration
numbers for their research laboratories -- as well as 58-r-0144.
This information was provided anonymously in the form of
10 photos which are
attached to this complaint. In general, these photos illustrate several
potential problems. It is impossible to tell if the monkeys shown in these
pictures are alive or dead. If they are alive, then the procedures illustrated
in the pictures would demonstrate several problems. Firstly, with regard to
proper surgical technique, the sterility of surgical fields is not being
maintained by sterile drapes, etc. Secondly, if these are anesthetized animals,
then they should also have endotracheal tubes in place to prevent the potential
aspiration of fluids which could cause pneumonia, etc. So in general, if these
are living animals, then extremely inappropriate surgical techniques are being
used which could potentially result in serious bacterial infections, or animal
death. Additionally, the incisions and suturing shown in
these photos is
extremely crude and not up to standards for current veterinary care.
Photo 1 illustrates what is apparently a surgical procedure because one of the
monkeys is receiving IV fluids. It is clearly inappropriate to be operating on
three monkeys simultaneously. This increases the potential for
cross-contamination as well as increasing the potential for injuries if any of
these animals begins to wake up from anesthesia. Additionally, if all three of
these animals are involved in surgical procedures why is only one of them
receiving fluids? Maintenance of a patent IV line is crucial for maintaining
adequate hydration as well as insuring quick access for administration of
additional anesthetics to maintain adequate anesthetic depth for surgery. The
monkey in the foreground of the photo has a large open injury. Apparently some
effort was made at suturing, however, it is not adequately closed and could
easily become infected.
Photo 2 shows a monkey who has clearly suffered tremendously. This animal has
gaping wounds to the upper lip, which have apparently not been treated. These
wounds could have become seriously infected. However, the most serious injury to
this animal appears to be on the top of the head. Apparently the head has been
so severely injured that the skin is missing at the top of the skull. There are
no indications that this injury has been bandaged or treated in any way. If this
wound was part of some research protocol, then it is likely the sloppiest
attempt at animal research that I have ever seen. It clearly endangered the life
of this animal. And, if the monkey is already dead, I would suspect that the
manner in which this project was performed was the cause of death.
Photo 3, dated 1/29/2010, depicts a monkey with several injuries to the head and
one on the right arm. Several of them have been crudely sutured, or possibly
stapled. The wound closure is extremely crude and has left a major opening in
the top of the skin of the monkey’s skull which could easily lead to a serious
and potentially fatal bacterial infection.
Photo 5, dated 2/1/2010, shows two primates who both have multiple issues of
concern. The rear legs and buttocks appear to be severely irritated which could
indicate excessively long restraint of a severe nature, such as that which would
involve a primate restraint chair. However, this restraint must have been
extremely long in duration to have caused such irritation. The monkey in the
foreground has an open wound exposing the skull and fascia. This was likely
caused surgically, due to the very regular shape of the opening in the skin. One
of the forelimbs also appears to have an injury. The primate who is in the
background of the photo has also apparently been used in a highly invasive
surgical procedure, though the wound on the head does not appear to be as
regular in appearance. Photo 6 appears to be a close up of the monkey who was in
the background of photo 5. This photo again shows the crude suturing and overall
barbaric nature of this highly invasive experimentation.
Photo 7, dated 2/4/10, shows a major injury on one of the primate’s limbs. It is
possible that this injury could either be the result of aggressive behavior or
psychologically abnormal self-destructive behavior. In either case, the staff of
Primate Products did not adequately protect the safety of this animal. It is
also possible that this photo could depict the result of tissue sloughing after
improper administration of a drug, similar to “seritol slough.” In other words,
if this injury was caused by drug administration, then it was performed by
unqualified staff.
Additionally, these photos may illustrate as many as 9 different monkeys who
were used in research experiments. Depending on when these projects began, and
when these monkeys were initially utilized, they may indicate the filing of
fraudulent reports by Primate Products. (See attached 2009 form 7023). The 2009
Annual Animal Use report filed by Primate Products lists only 8 monkeys used in
experimentation. These photos could represent more animals than the lab
reported, if they were used during the latter part of 2009. Photo 4 lists a date
of 2/1/2010, and also shows the text “8 weeks.” This would seem to indicate that
at least this animal, and potentially all of the monkeys show in these photos,
were initially used during 2009. And this may reveal that the Primate Products
lab filed potentially fraudulent reports with the USDA.
The open wounds in the skulls of the animals in photos 2, 3, 5 and 6 indicate
that they were used in highly invasive experiments which have potential
complications from conditions such as meningitis or encephalitis. The crude
nature of the wounds as well as the suturing, argue against proper surgical
technique or adequate veterinary care.
Overall, these photos potentially illustrate inadequate veterinary procedures,
inadequate supervision of experimentation by the IACUC, inadequate environmental
enhancement, unqualified personnel, etc. These photos demonstrate violations of
section 2.31 Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee, 2.32 Personnel
Qualifications, 2.33 Attending Veterinarian and Adequate Veterinary Care, and
section 2.36 Annual Report.
Therefore, I am filing an official complaint against the Primate Products
Laboratory/Dealer and I am asking that USDA/APHIS/REAC immediately investigate
this facility to examine the health and welfare of all primates at this
facility. I would also request that you provide me with the results of this
investigation when it is completed.
Sincerely,
Michael A. Budkie, A.H.T.,
Executive Director, SAEN
See Also:
Primate Products, Inc., Miami, FL
Primate Products Leaked Photos
Letter of Complaint to Primate Products, Inc., Miami, FL About 'Frankenstein-like' Photos
Letter of Complaint to USDA About Primate Products, Inc., Miami, FL
30 Aug 2010 - Leaked photos show 'Frankenstein-like' gruesome wounds to small primates at Miami research lab;
Watchdog group files federal complaint
Sick Pics Leaked From Miami Animal Research
Facility
Photos of hurt monkeys prompt federal inspection
Research company president says animals have since healed - 2 Sep 2010
6 Sep 2010 - Major protest set Tuesday at
Miami research laboratory after leaked photos reveal horrific conditions;
Federal officials confirm investigation, watchdog group says
Photos Of Alleged Primate Abuse Spark Protest
- 7 Sep 2010
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