North Carolina Indictment a Victory for Lab Animals

News of PETA’s success in bringing four animal-lab workers to justice comes only a few months after I learned the university in my hometown is opening a 4500-square-foot animal laboratory. The University of British Columbia Okanagan in Kelowna will likely adhere to higher standards than the private North Carolina lab, but the animals it tests will be sacrificed to our continued indifference to the inherent worth of our fellow creatures.

The legal proceedings in North Carolina stem from an undercover investigation by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. First-hand observations led to indictments against four workers at a North Carolina testing lab. They face felony cruelty charges for abusing and neglecting the animals in their care.

Kathy Guillermo, a PETA investigator, spent four months working at Professional Laboratory and Research Services. The company force-fed experimental chemical compounds to dogs and cats and smeared them on their skins. The corporations that hired them are familiar names in pharmaceuticals and pet supplies. The PETA release lists them as “Bayer, Eli Lilly, Novartis, Schering-Plough (now Merck), Sergeant’s*, Wellmark, and Merial, the maker of Frontline flea and tick products.”

Guillermo was quoted by WAVY.com as saying, “Most of what’s done to animals inside laboratories is legal, what made this case so different is that these animals were hit, they were kicked, they were thrown, they were denied decent care, they were living in filth, they were living in substandard conditions.”

The lab closed after the U.S. Department of Agriculture began investigating PETA’s report in September 2010. That’s good news for the 200 dogs and 50 cats confiscated from the facility. Still, PETA reports that “More than 100 million animals are poisoned, burned, crippled, and abused in other ways in U.S. labs each year.”

*Update:

Care2 has received a letter from Sergeant’s Pet Care Products questioning our reporting.

In this story, we said of PLRS’ clients: “The PETA release lists them as “Bayer, Eli Lilly, Novartis, Schering-Plough (now Merck), Sergeant’s, Wellmark, and Merial, the maker of Frontline flea and tick products.”

Sergeant’s says that they “stopped working with PLRS (the lab in question) in 2006. “ They continued, saying “PETA’s investigation was based on video footage they state was taken between December 2009 and August 2010. Sergeant’s had no relationship with PLRS during the time period in which PETA obtained the video footage or conducted its investigation.”

As we cited, this particular portion of the report was based on “The PETA release” and was reported in good faith. We regret any confusion.

Photo credit AmazonCARES via flickr

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Susan G.

4:04AM PST on Feb 3, 2012

When I click to donate on this Care2 site I do not click to donate to Breast Cancer because I have no reassurance that the donation does not go to organisations that do animal research for breast cancer.

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Vicki B.

9:26PM PST on Dec 22, 2011

It is hard to believe what cruel things people do to animals. I am sickened by the fact that they have absolutely no empathy for animals. I am glad they were prosecuted but I pray that animal labs are banned altogether.

dianna I.

9:59AM PDT on Sep 25, 2011

For me, this is a heartbreaking thing to see, let alone to feel in your heart of hearts! Don't people care anymore about anything that matters? I read a heartbreajung story about a ouooy who's owners? had chained him outside with a logging chain, no food, no water, mange & VERY near a fire ant hill; well the ants had a feast, first eating out his eyes, then parts of his ears, his whole tail & other parts of his body, he had very little skin left. a call to animal control saved him temporarily, he was treated & dispite of his little blind eyes which would never, at least SEE human cruelty, he wagged what was left of his tail & snuggled into the arms of theworker who has delievered him from his living hell; needless, his wounds & stuff, the vet had to put him down to alleviate further suffering; this should be a lesson to all the ungratefull sons-of-bitches who mistreat any animal, the pup recognized love for the short time that it was showered on him, even though they were in the last few hours of his life; WAKE UP people & you will see why I put humans on the bottom of my list of causes to care about, usu the brain that GOD gave you, stop taking it out of your back pocket on occasion & diddling with it, put it to use! Yes, this comment will anger some, incense others & some just won't care, others will think that it don't apply to them, well, I don't give a DAMM! who I offend & hope that I do offend a LOT! of people, maaaybe inspiring t

Isabelle J.

8:31AM PDT on Sep 25, 2011

Great news!

Donna H.

5:52PM PDT on Sep 18, 2011

Wonderful news.

Veronica B.

12:21PM PDT on Sep 7, 2011

thanks for sharing

Erin K.

12:57PM PDT on Aug 31, 2011

Love to Peta and their great work!