Animal rights activists – angered at reports of animal abuse in research laboratories at UCLA – including alleged decapitation of baby rats with scissors – held a protest Friday morning at UCLA starting at the corner of Le Conte and Westwood.
According to a statement from the activists, UCLA was sued by SAEN, a national research watchdog group, to release public records relating to the treatment of animals, and humane groups have asked the federal government to revoke funding because of UCLA violations of law.
“During a period of 18 months from April 2012 through July 2013, UCLA reported at least 10 instances of non-compliance and one of gross deviation,” the statement read. “On June 29, 2011, UCLA was also given an official warning for violations of federal regulations by the USDA that occurred in December 2010. ”
According to records the complaints include: Using unapproved methods to euthanize rat pups (overdose, decapitation by scissors); Depriving animals of food and water without approval; Starting animal experiments without approval; Surgery performed on animals without approval; Death of 67 animals because of negligence; Injecting tumors into mice after the approval period had elapsed; Creating genetically modified zebrafish without any approval; Lead researchers were noted in a report to be deliberately flouting rules because “it took too long to get approval.”
