The Indiana University School of Medicine (IUSM) is in hot water. According to a national watchdog that monitors research facilities for animal abuse, the school has
the deaths of more than 100 lab animals on their hands. According to the organization, between April 2016 and October 2017, 116 animals — mainly mice, and rats — were killed or injured due to negligence by university animal researchers. The list of violations is long and disturbing and include:
- Performing surgery on mice that weren't given sufficient anesthetic.
- Causing an error that left 6 rats dead due to asphyxiation.
- Using faulty water bottles that caused the drowning deaths of over 40 mice.
And the list goes on. The
report shows that
these animals died from everything from drowning to starvation and dehydration to suffocation. These errors are so egregious that it implicates IUSM in practicing blatant negligence and rampant disregard for the animals in their care. While, unfortunately, universities are licensed to use animals for research, they still must follow strict protocols that ensure their safety.
But the occurrences at IUSM seem to suggest they believe their research animals are not only void of feeling but also worthless. The IUSM lab needs to be shut down until a full investigation has been completed. If they can't abide by the rules, then they shouldn't be allowed to work with the animals in their care.
Sign the petition and ask university officials to close the lab and fix the problem before researchers at IUSM can do any more harm.