Animal Rights Groups Schedule UCLA Press Conference
September 5, 2006
Animal rights activists have requested a meeting with UCLA Chancellor
Norman Abrams in order to discuss research practices, access to
University protocols and animal health records, and discussion of
possible timetables for reductions in the number of animals used by UCLA
for laboratory purposes. S.A.E.N. Director, Michael Budkie, calls for
discussion instead of confrontation
Los Angeles, CA (PRWEB) September 5, 2006 -- A coalition of
California and national animal rights groups, including Stop Animal
Experimentation Now (S.A.E.N.) and the UCLA student animal rights group
(USETA), will conduct a news conference on Tuesday, September 5, 2006 at
10 a.m. at the UCLA Chancellor's Office. Discussion will focus on the
condition of non-human primates at UCLA�s laboratories, including
confinement conditions, stress, and adequacy of anesthesia used in
animal experimentation.
Animal rights activists have requested a meeting with Chancellor
Norman Abrams in order to discuss research practices, access to
University protocols and animal health records, and discussion of
possible timetables for reductions in the number of animals used by UCLA
for laboratory purposes. Spokesman Michael Budkie of S.A.E.N. says he is
trying to get past negative perceptions. �It is high time that
representatives of animal protection organizations have the opportunity
to sit down with researchers and try to find common ground.� Budkie
added, �If the polarization of these issues continue, such as activities
by the Animal Liberation Front (ALF), the outcome will likely be bad for
everyone.�
During the press conference, UCLA research protocols, primate health
care records, and statements from independent medical experts, including
the Physician Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) will be
available for the media.
Activists have expressed concern that the UCLA experiments are �part
of the most duplicated area of primate research currently funded by the
federal government,� according to documents released to the media.
Federal funding information indicates that over 175 separate grants
support neural information processing (brains studies) in macaque
monkeys. The average grant amount from the National Institute of Health
funding agency for these types of experiments is over $400,000. A total
of 731 grants, totaling $292 million per year, were awarded for
experimentation on various species.
S.A.E.N. (www.saenonline.org)
was founded in 1996 to force an end to the abuse of animals in
laboratories. Its first major event was a news conference that revealed
the suffering endured by dogs, rabbits, and primates in 9 laboratories
across the United States. Since then, S.A.E.N. has investigated abuses
of animals and violations of federal law inside dozens of American
laboratories including: Harvard, Johns Hopkins, Emory, Stanford, and the
Universities of California, Wisconsin, Florida, Alabama, Connecticut,
Nevada, Iowa and Washington.
The UCLA Chancellor's Office is located in Murphy Hall, at the corner
of Hilgard and Strathmore.
http://www.prweb.com/releases/2006/9/prweb432689.htm