Laboratory Animals at Vanderbilt endure pain without anesthesia, according to watchdog group

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NASHVILLE – Recently-obtained federal laboratory violations reports reveal that negligence inside Vanderbilt labs have taken the lives of several animals, while others have had painful brain scraping procedures done without anesthesia.

USDA reports obtained by SAEN (Stop Animal Exploitation NOW) reveal that in January 2007, a rabbit was killed by being run through a cage washer at Vanderbilt. In May of 2007 three cotton rats were killed due to improper handling. Another federal violation report for Vanderbilt describes a primate who was subjected to a painful brain-scrape procedure without benefit of anesthesia or pain relief of any kind.

"“Vanderbilt research staff is clearly ignorant of the basics of proper animal care,”" said Michael A. Budkie, A.H.T., SAEN’s Executive Director. “This negligence demonstrates that Vanderbilt is clearly a facility which should not be allowed to perform animal experiments.”

According to SAEN (Stop Animal Exploitation NOW) Vanderbilt’s laboratories have piled up 64 federal violations in the last two years, placing them among the nation’s worst laboratories.

In a recent two year period Vanderbilt’'s experimental animal use has climbed by 52% as federal funding of animal experimentation at Vanderbilt has topped $170 million.

"The federal government is virtually powerless to regulate criminal labs and facilities like Vanderbilt know it," added Budkie. "Despite statements to the contrary, it is clear that this university is much more concerned about the roughly $170 million in federal funding that animal experimentation generates than it is about following federal law," he said.

SAEN has contacted Jeanne Wallace, Vanderbilt'’s Assistant Vice Chancellor for Research to demand a tour of all animal laboratories.

Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Contact: Michael Budkie, SAEN, 513-575-5517; 513-703-9865 (cell) www.saenonline.org

Authors Website: http://www.georgianne-nienaber.com

Authors Bio:

Georgianne Nienaber is an investigative environmental and political writer. She lives in rural northern Minnesota and South Florida. Her articles have appeared in The Society of Professional Journalists' Online Quill Magazine, the Huffington Post, The Ugandan Independent, Rwanda's New Times, India's TerraGreen, COA News, ZNET, OpEdNews, Glide Magazine, The Journal of the International Primate Protection League, Africa Front, The United Nations Publication, A Civil Society Observer, Bitch Magazine, and Zimbabwe's The Daily Mirror. Her fiction expose of insurance fraud in the horse industry, Horse Sense, was re-released in early 2006. Gorilla Dreams: The Legacy of Dian Fossey was also released in 2006. Nienaber spent much of 2007 doing research in South Africa, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. She was in DRC as a MONUC-accredited journalist, and was living in Southern Louisiana investigating hurricane reconstruction and getting to know the people there in 2007. Nienaber is continuing "to explore the magic of the Deep South." She was a member of the Memphis Chapter of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences and is a current member of Investigative Rorters and Editors.