Help Animals Suffering in University of Utah and Arizona State Laboratories

1. For University of Utah, please sign and send HERE

2. For Arizona State, please sign and send HERE

From PETA

1. BACKGROUND

An eight-month PETA undercover investigation at the University of Utah documented the daily suffering of dogs, cats, monkeys, rats, mice, rabbits, and other animals in the school’s laboratories.

Homeless dogs and cats — who were bought for $15 to $25 from local animal shelters through a Utah state “pound-seizure” law, which required government-run shelters to turn animals over to laboratories that requested them — were used in cruel, invasive experiments. In one study, a litter of kittens born to a cat bought from an animal shelter died after a chemical that causes fluid to build up was injected into their brains.

In other experiments, mice whose back legs were paralyzed, rats who suffered epileptic seizures, and mice with huge, ulcerated tumors covering their bodies were left to suffer without adequate veterinary care. Many animals died and were left for days before anyone noticed.

Vodpod videos no longer available.

After breaking the news of our shocking investigation, we received confirmation from the University of Utah that Robert — the cat in the video — would be removed from the laboratory and adopted into a new home. Also, in early 2010, two more important developments in this case occurred: Utah legislators amended state law so that government-run animal shelters will no longer be forced to sell dogs and cats to laboratories upon request for use in cruel and deadly experiments, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture cited the University of Utah for nine violations of federal animal protection laws.

While this is great news for animals who live in animal shelters like Robert did, the University of Utah continues to perform cruel tests on animals inside its laboratories.

Please be a voice for the animals who are suffering in labs at the University of Utah. Take a minute of your time to urge the university HERE to stop experimenting on animals from shelters and to release to the public complete records on all taxpayer-funded animal experiments at the University of Utah.

Putting your subject line and letter into your own words will help draw attention to your e-mail.

MESSAGE TEXT

I was shocked to learn about the painful experiments conducted on homeless dogs and cats as well as monkeys, rats, mice, rabbits, and other animals inside University of Utah laboratories.

I was especially upset to learn that the university exploits the victims of the animal homelessness crisis by buying cats and dogs who are awaiting a second chance at life from animal shelters and using them in cruel and deadly experiments. I urge you to sever your unsavory ties with these animal shelters immediately and permanently end the practice of using these animals for any purpose in the university’s laboratories.

I know that many others were appalled to learn about what goes on at the university, and as a taxpayer, I further request that you implement steps to ensure greater transparency when it comes to all the university’s publicly funded animal experiments by publishing experimental protocols, veterinary records, and minutes of the university’s laboratory oversight committee meetings on its Web site.

2. BACKGROUND

Live Frogs Cut Open at ASU!

In classroom biology experiments at Arizona State University (ASU), hundreds of live frogs are cut open so that students can watch the animals’ hearts beat, and pregnant rats are killed so that students can dissect them and experiment on their organs. In other experiments, hundreds of rabbits have holes cut into their necks, are injected with various drugs, and are then killed.

Many non-animal teaching methods are available to replace these cruel and outdated animal laboratories and have been shown to teach anatomy and physiology better than crude animal experiments. In fact, PETA has confirmed that the University of Arizona does not use any live animals in its undergraduate physiology laboratories.

Please take a minute of your time to urge ASU to end these classroom animal experiments.

Send an e-mail to Michael Crow, (michael.crow@asu.edu), or use automatic form HERE, president of ASU, and politely ask him to replace these animal experiments with some of the humane, non-animal teaching methods that are available and in use at other universities. Also, make sure that your voice is heard by calling Michael Crow’s office at 480-965-8972.

Putting your subject line and letter into your own words will help to draw attention to your e-mail.

Recipients

• Michael Crow

MESSAGE TEXT

I was shocked to learn that Arizona State University has been allowing cruel and deadly experiments on frogs, mice, rats, and rabbits in its undergraduate physiology and biology courses. Please put an end to these harmful experiments and implement some of the sophisticated non-animal methods that are available to teach students biology and physiology. The University of Arizona does not use any live animals in its undergraduate physiology laboratories, and modern, non-animal methods have been shown to teach students as well or better than cruel and archaic animal experiments.

I urge you to adopt non-animal learning methods and to abandon these archaic experiments on animals.

RELATED:

• 2010 Humane Student & Educator Awarded at National Animal Conference in DC & CRITICAL ALTERNATIVES
• Researcher Laughs at Monkeys He Kills

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