We have previously reported on the push by PETA against primate research, particularly the importing through local airports in New York. They argue that the methods used are inhumane and cruel and that these animals, among most others, are more similar to humans than they are different. They have families and recognize loved ones, feel emotions, watch out for one another, stay by a loved ones’ side even at risk to themselves, and communicate in ways that people are only beginning to even understand. The group made a push at the airport a few years back, and they have provided us with a statement in support of Congresswoman Malliotakis’ efforts to intervene and stop this inhumane and tortorous research – which also, as an aside, has very little to no applicability or benefit to human beings as it is currently conducted. It serves ONLY to torture and cause suffering. It should also be noted that Senator Rand Paul is a great friend to animals everywhere, as he has been relentless in trying to get the FDA to follow the law that Congress passed to prevent them from requiring animal testing for the approval of new pharmaceuticals. In Act after Act, he has pressed them to follow the law, respect their status as being subject to Congressional oversight, and change their regulations. Below is the statement from PETA:
PETA Applauds Congresswoman’s Request to Secretary Kennedy to Suspend Primate Imports
Please see the following statement from PETA Senior Science Advisor on Primate Experimentation, Dr. Lisa Jones-Engel, regarding Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis, R-New York, urging U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr. to immediately suspend primate imports for experimentation:
PETA fully supports Rep. Malliotakis’ request to ban the importation of monkeys. Earlier this year, we and PETA honorary board member and New Yorker Edie Falco met with the congresswoman to share a rare look inside this trade and discuss the serious disease risks it poses, and we are encouraged that she is now pressing HHS to address them. For years, PETA has documented these risks and called on HHS and the CDC to shut down primate imports. Our concerns intensified after public records revealed that monkeys exported from Southeast Asia and imported into U.S. facilities were carrying a bacterium classified as a Tier 1 select agent, one of the most dangerous pathogens identified for potential use in bioterrorism. Novel strains of tuberculosis, as well as malaria, hepatitis, and other infectious diseases are also being imported with the monkeys caught up in this deadly trade. These pathogens pose a real and present danger when the United States imports tens of thousands of primates each year and disperses them to facilities across the country under a system that has repeatedly failed to detect or control dangerous infections.
Malliotakis Urges HHS Secretary Kennedy to Immediately Suspend Primate Imports for Research
(WASHINGTON, DC) — Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis (NY-11) sent the following letter to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., to review the importation of nonhuman primates for experimentation and urged him to immediately suspend all nonhuman primate imports for research.
“Recently, we’ve all seen little Punch, a 7-month-old macaque monkey, steal the hearts of animal lovers across the world. Yet the reality is that these adorable creatures are often used for inhumane animal experiments. It’s past time we end this importation of these beautiful monkeys for cruel and unnecessary testing. Continuing to import primates is unjustifiable from public health, scientific, and fiscal perspectives. We cannot claim to protect workers, communities, agriculture, or the integrity of federally funded science while importing pathogen-carrying primates through a system that repeatedly fails at basic custody, containment, and disease control.”
Banner Image: Baby monkey used in primate research. Image Credit – PETA
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