PULLMAN — Washington State University will conduct reviews of its laboratories following three complaints by an animal rights group and an internal investigation by the school into its bear research center.
Phyllis Erdman, chair of Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee, made the announcement Thursday. The committee oversees animal care in research at the university.
The group Stop Animal Exploitation Now contends the university negligently failed to provide veterinary care to a dog that died, and failed to provide adequate pain relief during biopsies on grizzlies at the Bear Research, Education and Conservation Center.
The Moscow-Pullman Daily News reports that other issues raised in the SAEN complaint involved the deaths of several bighorn sheep, rabbits that suffered broken legs and calves that were denied adequate water during research.
Erdman said during the next five to seven years all of the university’s labs would be inspected to ensure WSU is providing the resources they need to operate legally.
Those reviews are in addition to inspections the university already receives annually from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Mike Kluzik, WSU director of the Office of Research Assurances, wondered who would have to pay fines – potentially $10,000 per animal – if SAEN wins its complaint against the university.
In June, the animal rights group filed a complaint against WSU, asking the federal government to fine the school over the deaths of two grizzly bears and the overdosing of several bighorn sheep.
Stop Animal Exploitation Now asked the Animal Plant Health Inspection Service, an arm of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, to fine the university $10,000 for each infraction cited in an April 26 inspection report by the service.
