An anonymous source alleging that animal abuse has been taking place at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies has led two animal rights groups to offer a reward for any information leading to convictions on animal cruelty charges.
San Diego Animal Advocates and the Los Angeles-based Last Chance for Animals organizations are offering a combined $20,000 for proof of abuse, they announced on Jan. 5.
According to Jane Cartmill of San Diego Animal Advocates, the allegations include claims that researchers were overbreeding and killing off extra lab mice and that the skulls of baby monkeys were being opened without sufficient painkillers.
“”People are naturally concerned about losing their jobs,”” Cartmill said. “”But we’re hoping that by offering this reward, someone will come forward.””
According to Cartmill, the source made claims against a researcher, a researcher’s assistant, an administrator and a veterinarian. Cartmill said the source accused the researcher of overbreeding mice, the assistant of opening the monkeys’ skulls without enough anesthetic and the administrator of covering up employee complaints, threatening employees with job dismissal and failing to file required federal documents keeping track of experiments and the number of animals involved. Only “”vague”” claims of animal neglect were made against the veterinarian, she said.
The Salk Institute said in a Jan. 5 statement that it has procedures in place to monitor and report on animal treatment and that the institute is committed to conducting studies in a “”humane manner.””
Cartmill said, she was first e-mailed the allegations in July. When she tried to reply, the e-mail failed to send successfully, she said. However, the animal groups only made the claims public on Jan. 5 after months of trying to meet with Salk officials, they claim.
The institute’s statement explained that they requested that San Diego Animal Advocates “”provide in writing the specifics of their unsubstantiated allegations about animal abuse.””
“”To this date, the institute has not received a response to its request,”” the statement continued.
Cartmill claims that the group did respond, but that “”the answer was ‘no.'””
“”We refused to give information to Salk until we and our veterinarians sit down with them,”” Cartmill said. “”We don’t want them to start a witch hunt.””
While the federal Animal Welfare Act would protect primates from the treatment alleged by the source, there are currently no laws that protect rodents.
Cartmill also expressed concern over the recent donation by Irwin Jacobs of $7 million to the institute’s neurosciences division.
“”Brain-mapping experiments are among the most devastating to animals and involve tremendous depravation and suffering,”” she said.
According to published Salk Institute research in monkey visual cortex neurotechnique, some of these experiments involve restraining alert, non-anesthetized monkeys in horizontal chairs. The monkeys’ heads are restrained by cranial headposts surgically implanted into their skulls. They are then shown visual stimuli and positively reinforced with fruit juice. These experiments are in compliance with National Institute of Health guidelines.
Salk officials unavailable for comment on experiments involving opening brains of younger primates, those in which one of the alleged incidents would have taken place.
Cartmill said San Diego Animal Advocates will be displaying a banner and handing out flyers in front of the institute on a regular basis. The banner advertises the tip line e-mail address: [email protected].
Chris De Rose, actor and president of Last Chance for Animals, said he hoped to see the experiments ultimately stopped.
“”I would at least like to see them justify their experiments,”” he said.
