UMass ends negotiations with PETA on animal welfare in laboratories

Chancellor of the University of Massachusetts Amherst (UMass) Kumble R. Subbaswamy abruptly ended good faith negotiations with PETA, which were aimed at reducing the number of animals used in experiments and modernizing the school’s research program. We need your help to convince him to continue these important negotiations.

In July, three of PETA’s in-house scientists met with Subbaswamy and Dr. Mike Malone, Vice-Chancellor for Research and Engagement, to discuss reasonable measures UMass could take to improve animal welfare and implement its research methods into the 21st century. The meeting follows our news release about the unsettling experiments of the University of Massachusetts experimenter on animals and was facilitated by one of the school’s main sponsors. The discussion was friendly and Subbaswami showed interest in our many recommendations. Continuation of the discussion was ensured.

But then he slammed the door. Subbaswami recently told PETA that UMass will not address any of our problems and will not implement any of our proposed changes because the in-house professors do not want to. And just like that – as if he had no authority in his own university – he left.

PETA asked him to reconsider his decision, but in response we received only silence.

Our initial proposals included eliminating the use of monkeys in experiments in schools, introducing higher standards of animal welfare and surveillance, and establishing a center for animal-free alternative research, as well as other recommendations for specific areas of research already underway at the University of Massachusetts.

These are common sense ideas. If implemented, they will place the school at the forefront of US research and enable UMass to focus on both compassion and human research – an enviable position for a university with such a sad record of animal welfare impairments. This is a fact not overlooked by several alumni and sponsors of the University of Massachusetts who have contacted PETA to voice their concerns about the school’s abuses and continued use of primates.

In just the past few years, USDA inspectors have discovered that the university has caused the monkey to die from severe burns while recovering from a vasectomy, and that the treating veterinarian was unaware of the potential health or behavior issues in the animals. and that the monkey was injured during recapture after the animal escaped.

UMass knows it desperately needs reform, as evidenced by a lawsuit recently won by PETA, forcing it to publish hours of videos documenting horrific psychological experiments on monkeys that the school has tried to hide from the public. An experimenter associated with experiments, Melinda Novak, suddenly retired – just after PETA posted disturbing footage.

Given these facts, it is inconceivable that UMass would decide to resist change. Take a moment to convince Subbaswami to accept our invitation and resume the discussion.