Utah Lab Cruelty Exposed
[Salt Lake Tribune]
U.S. Department of Agriculture inspectors were
giving University of Utah animal-research labs a thumbs up at the very time
an "undercover" animal-rights activist claims she was documenting miserable
conditions and illegal treatment of animals inside two U. facilities.
U. officials on Tuesday released annual inspection reports dating back to
2005 in response to allegations of systemic abuse leveled by the People for
the Treatment of Animals (PETA). All the inspection reports say the same
thing: "No noncompliances identified."
"The University's labs are
inspected frequently without warning or advance notice by state and national
agencies, and our labs have always been in full compliance with all
government guidelines for animal care," U. administrators said in a prepared
statement.
--
full story:
http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_13765488
[Salt Lake Tribune]
A leading U.S. animal-rights organization placed
an "undercover investigator" inside two University of Utah biomedical
research facilities, where she used hidden cameras to record alleged
mistreatment of research animals.
Representatives from the Virginia-based
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) said they will file formal
complaints Wednesday based on an eight-month probe in which their agent,
identified only as LZ, gathered video, photos and log entries. She worked as
an animal support technician at the U. from Feb. 12 to Oct. 29, and shot
"hundreds of hours" of video inside U. labs, the group says.
University officials disputed the PETA investigator's interpretation of what
she saw, arguing she does not understand animal research.
--
full
story:
http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_13758496
