Animal Rights Groups Schedule UCLA Press Conference

Animal rights activists have requested a meeting with UCLA Chancellor Norman Abrams in order to discuss research practices, access to University protocols and animal health records, and discussion of possible timetables for reductions in the number of animals used by UCLA for laboratory purposes. S.A.E.N. Director, Michael Budkie, calls for discussion instead of confrontation

Los Angeles, CA (PRWEB) September 4, 2006 -- A coalition of California and national animal rights groups, including Stop Animal Experimentation Now (S.A.E.N.) and the UCLA student animal rights group (USETA), will conduct a news conference on Tuesday, September 5, 2006 at 10 a.m. at the UCLA Chancellor's Office. Discussion will focus on the condition of non-human primates at UCLA’s laboratories, including confinement conditions, stress, and adequacy of anesthesia used in animal experimentation.

Animal rights activists have requested a meeting with Chancellor Norman Abrams in order to discuss research practices, access to University protocols and animal health records, and discussion of possible timetables for reductions in the number of animals used by UCLA for laboratory purposes. Spokesman Michael Budkie of S.A.E.N. says he is trying to get past negative perceptions. “It is high time that representatives of animal protection organizations have the opportunity to sit down with researchers and try to find common ground.” Budkie added, “If the polarization of these issues continue, such as activities by the Animal Liberation Front (ALF), the outcome will likely be bad for everyone.”

During the press conference, UCLA research protocols, primate health care records, and statements from independent medical experts, including the Physician Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) will be available for the media.

Activists have expressed concern that the UCLA experiments are “part of the most duplicated area of primate research currently funded by the federal government,” according to documents released to the media. Federal funding information indicates that over 175 separate grants support neural information processing (brains studies) in macaque monkeys. The average grant amount from the National Institute of Health funding agency for these types of experiments is over $400,000. A total of 731 grants, totaling $292 million per year, were awarded for experimentation on various species.

S.A.E.N. (www.saenonline.org) was founded in 1996 to force an end to the abuse of animals in laboratories. Its first major event was a news conference that revealed the suffering endured by dogs, rabbits, and primates in 9 laboratories across the United States. Since then, S.A.E.N. has investigated abuses of animals and violations of federal law inside dozens of American laboratories including: Harvard, Johns Hopkins, Emory, Stanford, and the Universities of California, Wisconsin, Florida, Alabama, Connecticut, Nevada, Iowa and Washington.

The UCLA Chancellor's Office is located in Murphy Hall, at the corner of Hilgard and Strathmore.

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