ANIMAL RESEARCH AT THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY
EVERY TWO MINUTES AN ANIMAL
IS KILLED
IN AN OSU LAB
Since 1994, after local animal rights lawyer, Shawn Thomas won an Open Records lawsuit, POET has been attending the Institutional Laboratory Animal Care and Use Committee (ILACUC) meeting at The Ohio State University. Since that time we have watched and documented as this committee has approved hundreds of protocols which use thousands of animals.
Ever wonder what happens at the OSU ILACUC meetings? A visit here will provide you with information concerning the types of research, species and the numbers of animals being used on the OSU campus. Also some first person accounts of the meetings.
World Laboratory Animal Liberation Week 2007 read out
2006 World Laboratory Animal Liberation Week working for the liberation of animals from the laboratory.
The animal usage at OSU has increased so much that over the past year (2003-2004) the number of animals killed increased from one every five minutes to one every two minutes!
POET has been attending the monthly IACUC meeting however, we have not been receiving our protocol requests and minutes to the meetings. Not only does OSU have problems with their animal care program, but it seems they can not even get minutes approved for their meeting. As of July 21st, 2006, the minutes for April, May, and June have NOT been approved. We received a package of protocols in July but there remains approx. 100 open requests since the beginning of 2006 and our requests for protocols reviewed in November 2005 continues to remain open! In addition we have no idea what amendments, usually meaning more animals requested, have been approved since April.
Well did our letter to the editor pay off? I don't know but I do know that after out letter to the editor appeared in the Dispatch we received 1,782 pages of protocols and semi-annual reports from OSU at the Dec. 2006 IACUC meeting. Here's a link to the letter, OSU lags in release of animal-use records.
To be fair OSU did deliver 2,317 pages of data in Oct. 2006, however when nothing was delivered to us at the November meeting we felt some action needed to be taken. Let's hope the "no data" issue is resolved and will stay that way.
Animal Usage on the OSU Campus
| SPECIES USED | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dogs | 485 | 524 | 418 | 315 | 264 | 310 | 272 | |
| Non-Human Primates | 34 | 21 | 37 | 77 | 38 | 26 | 39 | |
| Cats | 225 | 120 | 106 | 123 | 163 | 184 | 111 | |
| Pigs | 1,003 | 958 | 794 | 983 | 423 | 1,402 | 1,279 | |
| Guinea Pigs | 401 | 371 | 404 | 415 | 504 |
345 |
311 | |
| Rabbits | 570 | 403 | 305 | 365 | 450 | 604 | 684 | |
| Hamsters | 989 | 1,921 | 2,244 | 1,560 | 1,704 |
2,969 |
2,211 | |
| Rats # | 6,890 | 7,985 | 8,964 | 32,068 | 7,573 | 9,100 | 8,649 | |
| Mice # | 40,692 | 63,975 | 100,309 | 242,667 | 82,052 | 98,506 |
92,491 | |
| Others*** | 933(250 horses) | 1,051(186 horses) | 1,275 | 1,849 | 2,655 | 2,181 | See Below |
*** Others in 2007) includes Sheep (25), Cows (85), Horses (33), Goats
(4), Alpaca & Llama (22), Racoons (4), Opossums (206), Gerbils (24),
Cotton Rats (510), Deer Mice (349 w/20 in category "E"),
and Voles (41 w/41 in category "E")
For an explanation of Category E click to this page.
# Actual rat and mouse numbers obtained via open records request to OSU.
*** Others in 2006) includes the number of animals being bred, conditioned, or held for use in teaching, testing, experiements, research or surgery but not yet used for such purposes and animals used in teaching, testing, experiments, research. OTHERS includes Sheep (43), Cows (134), Horses (41), Goats (4), Alpaca & Llama (7). Chinchillas (39), Bats (3),Racoons(6), Opossums(127), Gerbils (38), Deer Mice (1,349 w/250 falling into category E), and Lemmings (390)
*** Others in 2005) includes the number of animals being bred, conditioned, or held for use in teaching, testing, experiements, research or surgery but not yet used for such purposes and animals used in teaching, testing, experiments, research. OTHERS includes Sheep (34), Cows (68), Horses (152), Goats (4), Alpaca & Llama (18). Chinchillas (39), Bats (10), Gerbils (172), and Deer Mice (2,258 w/949 falling into category E).
January 2005 ILACUC Report
Year-End 2005 ILACUC Report
OOPS! We Need Some
More Animals Please ...
Animal Usage from previous years can be viewed be clicking here.
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The Director of Lab Animals at OSU has stated that rat and mice numbers
(especially transgenic animals) will continue to increase dramatically.
Currently, most animal rooms are filled with projects using rodents. This
direction is reflected in a recent article published in ILAR Journal,
Reflections on Future Needs in Research with Animals.
You can obtain copies by contacting POET.
Update The Columbus Dispatch, June 30, 2001 - "Because more research is being done on animals-last year saw a 28 percent increase- OSU plans to add 25,000 square feet of research space to Pressey and Wiseman halls, at a cost of $17 million. It would be paid for with federal funding, private grants and state tax money." Also under discussion is a "proposed 350,000-square-feet biomedical research lab."
Information discussed at the Oct./Nov. 2002 ILACUC meeting indicates a new biomedical facility will be built which will provide the capability for space to cage an additional 40,000 rodents.
The 2002 Farm Bill containing an amendment by Jesse Helms (R-NC) to permanently exclude birds, mice, and rats from protection under the Animal Welfare Act (AWA) was passed in both the House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate. President Bush signed the Bill into law on May 13, 2002.
Please read this editorial which appeared in The Washington Times, Atrocities in the laboratory
A February 2004 report published in the British Medical Journal asks
the question,
Where is the evidence that animal research benefits humans?
The authors note the basic methodological problems of animal experiments.
The
BBC News website pointed out many of the problems involved with using
animal in research.
- Species so different from man that findings may not be applicable
- Drug doses may be very different from those given to humans
- Small experimental groups generating weak conclusions
- Variability in the criteria for selecting animals
- The way illness or injury is induced may vary too much from the human condition
All further evidence that the use of animals in research is not helping
humans. A quick review of a large majority of work being conducted at
OSU reveals the same flaws noted in this study.
Updated 2/10/08
Animals in labs have nothing more than our voices to make a difference for them... to advocate for their liberation.
If we are silent, they are nothing but a pitiful lot
- being relegated to a cement and stainless steel world in a lab where
they may be drugged; burned; blinded; infected with
horrible diseases; shocked; addicted; shot; frozen; and/or surgically
mutilated.
ANIMALS IN LABORATORIES........
UNSEEN THEY SUFFER...........
UNHEARD THEY CRY............
IN AGONY THEY LINGER........
IN LONELINESS THEY DIE......
Let their cries be heard!
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The history and current status of the "Cats On METH" experiments. Updated 4/28/05
Animals used in "E" Protocols. Pain & Distress is NOT relieved.
Newsworthy Information
David A. Padgett, Ph.D., animal researcher,
in a review conducted by the Office of Research Integrity, found that
"Dr. Padgett, engaged in scientific misconduct."
An archived summary is available.
OSU Animal Dealers
click pic
7/09/07 - OSU becomes fully accredited after being on probation for nearly two years.