ACTION: Demand TERMINATION of SCB's Animal Dealer License
Dr. Robert Gibbens
Director, Wetern Region, USDA
(970) 494-7478
[email protected]
[email protected]
SAMPLE MESSAGE:
Please TERMINATE Santa Cruz Biotech's Animal Dealer License for their
blatant disregard of the Animal Welfare Act (AWA) when they failed to
provide veterinary care for 14 goats who suffered from severe illnesses or
injuries (lame, anemic, excessively thin, etc). SCB has previously been
levied a $4,600 fine and they are currently the target of a third USDA
complaint, but their behavior has not changed. This must NOT be tolerated
and MUST be punished to the fullest extent of the law. The time is NOW to
send a clear message with stiff penalties to these renegade, negligent
facilities that these behaviors will NOT be tolerated!
Santa Cruz Biotechnology worst in nation for USDA citations
By Bek Phillips,
Register-Pajaronian.com, Wednesday, August 19, 2015
A federal complaint filed for animal cruelty, including a citation for
killing a goat with a bolt gun, is the latest in a string of violations
brought against Santa Cruz Biotechnology.
With repeated violations for failure to provide adequate veterinary care to
its animals, as well as causing animals trauma, behavioral stress, physical
harm and/or unnecessary discomfort, the USDA claims that Santa Cruz
Biotechnology willfully violated the regulations applicable to animal
dealers and research facilities. This is only one of three outstanding
complaints, an unprecedented number according to Stop Animal Exploitation
Now (SAEN).
"Santa Cruz Biotech is one of the worst research facilities in the nation,"
said Michael Budkie, an employee at SAEN. "With more that 20 violations and
citations in a year, I can't see that they can possibly get out of this
without major fines or getting their license revoked."
Santa Cruz Biotechnology is one of the largest global suppliers of
antibodies used in research and is registered as both a dealer and research
facility. No response was received when asked to comment as of press time.
The USDA reported multiple violations including one on July 7 that involved
a goat found "suffering and in distress." This goat was killed in direct
violation of Santa Cruz Biotechnology's own standard operating procedure,
when an employee euthanized it with a captive bolt gun without using a
sedative or secondary euthanasia injection, when they had no veterinarian
available to attend the animal, the report stated.
In addition to allegedly not providing appropriate care to its animals,
Santa Cruz Biotechnology is also said to have lied to the USDA about how
many animals were on its campus.
"They are the only facility that lied to the USDA saying repeatedly that one
building had no animals housed inside," Budkie said. "In fact, that building
was found to house 841 goats."
Christopher Berry, a staff attorney for Animal Legal Defense Fund, said that
their company also had a lawsuit against Santa Cruz Biotechnology.
"The lawsuit is for unlawful business practices that involve animal
cruelty," Berry said. "Time and time again they have proved that they are
incapable of even the most basic level of care for its animals."
Berry said this is demonstrated by the three outstanding complaints.
"Quite frankly, I have never seen three cases simultaneously being brought
against one company before," he said. "There is something corrupt and rotten
about the management and how they treat their animals."
He is also not surprised at the latest infractions.
"This is exactly the type of behavior I would expect," he said.
Beyond the alleged improper euthanasia of the goat in July, the latest USDA
complaint went on to identify numerous cases where goats suffered from a
variety of sicknesses and injuries ranging from anemia, weight loss,
dermatitis, leg injuries, respiratory problems and a rattlesnake bite. Going
back to 2012, there were also violations listed for the improper handling
and housing of rabbits. They were reportedly placed in small wire cages that
did not afford the rabbits adequate space within which to make normal
postural adjustments or to avoid stepping in their own waste.
The list of violations include failure "to provide adequate veterinary care
to animals and/or failure to establish programs of adequate veterinary care
that included the availability of appropriate facilities, personnel,
equipment, equipment and services, the use of appropriate methods to
prevent, control, and treat diseases and injuries and the availability of
emergency care," among others.
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