New Undercover Investigation: Meet Robert November 11, 2009

Posted by Ryan at November 11, 2009 12:34 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 40 ) | TrackBack

For more than eight months in 2009, a PETA investigator worked undercover inside the laboratories of the University of Utah (UU) in Salt Lake City and documented miserable conditions for and terrible suffering of the dogs, cats, monkeys, rats, mice, rabbits, frogs, cows, pigs, and sheep confined there.

Among those imprisoned in the campus laboratories was Robert. Robert was a gentle orange-and-white tabby cat, who was purchased by the labs for $15 from the local Davis County Animal Shelter. You see, according to an antiquated Utah state "pound-seizure" law, government-funded shelters are required to turn over animals to laboratories that request them, for use in invasive, painful experiments.

Laboratory workers renamed Robert "F09-017", and determined that he would be used in invasive brain experiments.

The experimenters implanted electrodes in Robert's brain, and began a series of tests in which electrical current was fired through the electrodes, stimulating nerves that caused Robert's legs to move involuntarily.

After each experiment, Robert was tired and groggy, his eyes became glassy, and he vomited repeatedly. Over time, this once affectionate cat became skittish and withdrawn.

When PETA's undercover investigator left the laboratory, Robert will still there, locked into his tiny cage, enduring experiment after experiment.

Please speak up for Robert and the other animals being abused at the University of Utah by signing our online petition, and leaving your messages of support for Robert in the comments.

NASA: Stop the Monkey Business! November 9, 2009

Posted by Rachel-O at November 9, 2009 9:33 AM | Permalink | Comments ( 5 ) | TrackBack

usatoday / CC

When you think of NASA, you probably think of rockets, science, innovation and most of all, the most high tech, up to date technology that we can't even imagine yet, right? NASA doesn't possibly think that torturing animals in the name of science is somehow useful ... or do they?

NASA is planning to expose up to 28 squirrel monkeys to radiation in order to simulate the effects of radiation exposure to humans in space. The monkeys will then spend the rest of their lives being forced to perform a host of "behavioral tasks" to assess how the radiation affected their brains. Although NASA has repeatedly told the media that these monkeys won't be killed, they left out the teensy detail that earlier radiation experiments NASA has conducted on monkeys have caused the animals to suffer from fatal cancers, including brain tumors.

Years ago, PETA was instrumental in getting NASA out of the monkey business when we successfully pushed the agency to cancel plans to launch straightjacketed, electrode-implanted monkeys into space. Monkeys need your help to tell NASA to cancel these experiments now.

Please click here and use our form to send an automated letter to NASA asking them to use humane methods of research instead of torturing animals.

peta2 Takes Over the University of Michigan! Where Next? September 25, 2009

Posted by Ryan at September 25, 2009 4:20 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 6 ) | TrackBack

When walking around the lovely and historic campus of the University of Michigan (U-M), you'd never guess that tens of thousands of animals are used in grotesque experiments there.

That's because many of the cement buildings that house these animals have no windows, and nobody can hear the screams. Hidden from public view, students go from class to class each day, never knowing what happens right next to their dorm.

That's where we come in. You see, we at peta2 do know what happens behind the scenes—stuff like monkeys being intentionally addicted to cocaine and nicotine, or cases of live mice being placed out with the trash, only to be crushed to death in a compactor—and we want everyone else to know too.

That's why we worked with the student animal rights group at U-M to host a peta2 event on campus this week, called "Testing ... One, Two, Three." We even brought in one of the big guns, named Dr. Alka Chandna, who is one of PETA's senior researchers on animal experimentation issues. Animal abusers didn't stand a chance.

Of course, as you've seen before, when peta2 comes to town, people tend to notice. That's because all this week, we were everywhere at U-M.



We chalked the word "Test" hundreds of times on the campus sidewalks, to highlight the staggering number of cruel tests performed there.



I do say, who's that charming chimp in the student newspaper?

What do you think—should we come to your school to shake things up? If so, why?

Y'all Ever Met a Monkey with a Texan Accent? July 20, 2009

Posted by Ryan at July 20, 2009 2:11 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 7 ) | TrackBack

dawkinswatch / cc

OK, so imagine this situation. In a Covance animal testing laboratory, a group of monkeys are sitting in a cage, pacing back-and-forth like guys in a jail cell.

One monkey says to another (in monkey language, of course), "So where are you all from?" The monkey answers "Duuuude, I was raised in Southern California. I miss it. The waves there were sooo sick—it was totally badical." Another monkey chimes in, "If y'all think this place is bad, you shoulda seen the places I was locked up back in Texas. They ever send me back there, and they're fixin' for a fight."

THIS COULD ACTUALLY HAPPEN. (Well, sort of.) You see, studies have concluded that, like humans, monkeys can acquire regional accents based on where they live. According to the study, two large groups of Japanese monkeys were separated back in the '50s, and lived in separate regions since then. As such, they have two noticeably different accents.

Additionally, a recent study has concluded that monkeys can even recognize bad grammar. For example, monkeys can tell that the saying "ed-walk" is wrong, and that "walked" is correct. Presumably, they could also determine that "etarian-veg" is not the correct pronunciation of "vegetarian". Heck, I have relatives that aren't that evolved.

So what do you think, should people be allowed to test on animals that are clearly more intelligent than some of our (human) relatives?

Monkeys Need Your Help July 16, 2009

Posted by Pulin Modi at July 16, 2009 9:17 AM | Permalink | Comments ( 52 ) | TrackBack

You're probably all familiar with our Animal Testing Breaks Hearts campaign against product testing on animals, but let's not forget that animals are being experimented on elsewhere, too.

Did you know that the U.S. Army conducts a lot of animal experiments? The U.S. Army is currently injecting toxic drugs into live monkeys and bacteria directly into their eyelids! And records show that chemical and biological casualty care training exercises have caused monkeys' internal organs to burst.

It's probably more horrifying than you or I could ever imagine, so we're asking the U.S. government to limit funding to only non-animal experiments (there are plenty of humane ways to conduct research without torturing animals).

If you're a U.S. resident, please contact your representative today.

Thank you!

Military Trauma Experiments are Torture July 8, 2009

Posted by Rachel-O at July 8, 2009 2:12 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 7 ) | TrackBack

Remember a couple of months ago when Bolivia banned the use of animals in all military tests? Well for years PETA has been pushing the United States to do the same.

Through the Freedom of Information Act, the Physicians Committeee for Responsible Medicine (PRCM) has obtained video footage of several Department of Defense military trauma training exercises, and if you've ever needed anymore evidence as to just how cruel, unusual and outright disgusting these needless tests are, see below.

In training exercises that are supposed to simulate the effects of a nerve agent attack, monkeys experience seizures and difficulty breathing. Using monkeys in this exercise is profoundly inhumane, and it also distracts military personnel from the real-world, clinically valid training they need to treat chemical casualties.

Every year, thousands of live animals are shot, stabbed, dismembered, burned, and poisoned in Department of Defense (DoD) training exercises designed to train medics and infantry in how to treat various human battlefield injuries.

What can you do to help? Ask the Department of Defense to act now to end military trauma testing on animals.

Ever Wonder What an Animal (Torture) Lab Looks Like? November 13, 2008

Posted by Marta at November 13, 2008 9:23 AM | Permalink | Comments ( 7 ) | TrackBack

Here's a guest blog from Sarah with peta2 UK.

Oxford University in the UK officially stated that its new animal lab is complete—not so good news for the animals. Animal rights campaigners, not just around the country—but around the world, have been trying to stop plans for the new laboratory to go ahead.

You can watch the inside footage of the lab here, where the presenter thinks it's OK that way more mice, rabbits and ferrets will be experimented on than primates—because their lives are worth less...? He also thinks it's OK that the monkeys will be able to look into a corridor for the best part of their confinement! This guy can't be for real—I wouldn't put a mouse in those 'play area' cages, let alone a monkey!

Over 100 million animal experiments every year worldwide have failed to deliver cures or proven to be ineffective, with a whopping 92% of drugs that passed animal trials failed in humans.

Oxford University should cut the cave man crap and look to using more modern, humane and non-animal research methods.

Every creature with a will to live has a right to live free from pain and suffering—every day we make choices, please make sure that yours is a compassionate one.

- Sar

Experimenting on Cats and Monkeys? January 14, 2008

Posted by Marta at January 14, 2008 1:32 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 0 ) | TrackBack

Whenever PETA has a new investigation come out about animals in labs, I brace myself because I know how upsetting the video will be. The investigation into the Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot, Israel, is no different. Check out some of the horrible experiments that were documented:

- Drilling holes in animals' skulls in order to expose their brains
- Attaching chambers and silicone disks to animals' skulls
- Subjecting them to daily water deprivation
- Immobilizing animals in restraint chairs and inserting electrodes directly into their brains
- Forcibly keeping animals' eyes open for hours while they watch patterns on screens

Not only that, the investigation also documented that after tests were completed, all cats and some monkeys were killed by experimenters and had their brains removed for further examination.

Ugh. I shudder thinking that defenseless animals are subjected to such things—when safe, accurate, human-based alternatives, such as non-invasive neuroimaging and microelectrode implants are available. It's hard for me to understand why anyone would fund cruel experiments when humane alternatives exist—but that's exactly what The American Committee for the Weizmann Institute of Science (ACWIS) is doing. The ACWIS is responsible for securing funding for the Weizmann Institute of Science.

Check out the undercover investigation for yourself below, and then write to the ACWIS, asking them to make the compassionate decision to stop funding these cruel experiments.

Be sure to pass the investigation along to your friends, too. Thanks!

♥ Marta

Multiple Stab Wounds May Shorten Life Expectancy? July 19, 2007

Posted by Marta at July 19, 2007 2:08 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 3 ) | TrackBack

A friend passed along this hilarious parody video from The Onion and I just had to share it with you all. So funny. My favorite line from the video: "This tells us that the effects of stab wounds are more physical than psychological."

Study: Multiple Stab Wounds May Be Harmful To Monkeys

It's hard to believe that people still test other ridiculous things on animals—like mascara. WTF? I personally don't want a bunny blinded so I can use a brand new lash-lengthening mascara. If you haven't watched our "Testing...One, Two, Three" video yet, well, get on that.

♥ Marta

PS - The Onion is totally amazing. Check it out regularly. Seriously, dude.

PPS - It's Pulin's birthday. Wish him a happy one!