Open Cages, Naming Names

Open Cages, Naming Names
Open Cages, Naming Names

Welcome to Open Cages, Naming Names, a campaign putting the animal testing industry on blast!

Since 2010, Beagle Freedom Project has rescued thousands of animals from laboratories across the US and around the globe. We made a promise that when the world was ready to hear the evidence we’ve collected against these horrific facilities, we would release our findings—and that time is now.

With a comprehensive campaign in place, Open Cages, Naming Names works towards closing animal testing facilities—one at a time, once and for all. Our first target was Envigo’s notoriously cruel facility in Cumberland, VA. Following a hard-fought campaign by BFP and other organizations, Envigo announced their closure in June!

 

Margaret Livingstone, an “animal researcher” at Harvard Medical School, has been performing cruel, unethical, and traumatizing experiments on primates that must end now!

 

Disturbing evidence has recently been revealed, as briefly outlined here.

Last September she published a disturbing article wherein she describes horrific testing she performs on primates, where she takes infants away from their mothers and gives the mothers toys in place of their babies to see how they react. This is obviously intended to cause them to suffer, thereby alleging to study what depriving the mother-child bond would is like.

The end-result? Here are her own words:

Although there is no way of knowing the extent to which these observations bear on human maternal bonding, or on other kinds of bonding….

Absurd & cruel to say the least. Not only unethical, but these “studies” produce no concrete conclusions, are unnecessary, outdated and the result of a sick individual.

 

TAKE ACTION NOW!

(More information about her and Harvard after action items.)

Please contact the USDA and urge them to further investigate Harvard Medical School and follow-up on their citations:

animalcare@usda.gov

816-737-4200, 919-855-7100, 970-494-7478, 301-851-3751

Contact Harvard Medical School and demand they fire Margaret Livingstone:

Lisa Muto: 617-432-2445 – lisa_muto@hms.harvard.edu

Contact Margaret Livingstone and tell her what you think of her:

617-432-1664 – Margaret_Livingstone@hms.harvard.edu

 

Margaret Livingstone

 

Photos she took of the poor monkeys in her lab after she ripped their babies away.

These experiments of hers, funded by taxpayers (NIH grants) should never have been approved. Livingstone should have her medical license revoked, and Harvard should fire her.

 

Margaret Livingstone

 

As if that was not enough, Margaret also admits that her depraved studies lie beyond her own scientific discipline:

“I actually don’t study animal behavior. The main thrust of my lab is studying vision, in particular the inferior temporal cortex of the brain, which is a region important for object recognition… Our monkeys are socially housed and sometimes get pregnant. Over 10 years, I made a series of unexpected, incidental observations about how monkey mothers form attachments to their infants. This paper is the result of these observations.” (https://hms.harvard.edu/news/mothers-love)

Not only is this scientifically irresponsible, but incredibly shocking that she and Harvard Medical School would allow the monkeys to accidentally get pregnant in the lab. Not to mention the wastefulness of spending years of time and money paid by us, the taxpayers, through NIH grants, for Livingstone’s own curiosity.

Once this “study” was released, a signed by over 250 scientists called for a retraction.
“We cannot ask monkeys for consent, but we can stop using, publishing, and in this case actively promoting cruel methods that knowingly cause extreme distress,” wrote Catherine Hobaiter, a primatologist at the University of St. Andrews, who co-authored the retraction letter.

“We ask that PNAS retract Professor Livingstone’s article “Triggers for Mother Love” due to the unethical practices and research standards it promotes and its failure to advance scientific knowledge.”

“As a group of scientists, including primatologists with more than 100 years of cumulative research experience with both wild and captive primates, we believe the time for this unethical treatment of nonhuman animals for research is over.”

“Many of these same studies, uncritically presented by Livingstone, have been condemned by philosophers for decades due to their unethical treatment of animals and lack of contribution to scientific knowledge (Singer, 1975).”

“We understand that this study exploited the permanent separation of mothers and infants undertaken for a separate study. We feel strongly that there is no lesser obligation to consider the ethical impact of our work when it is derived from pre-existing data or opportunities. We were disturbed to discover that in 2022 a university ethics committee approved any experiments that required isolation of pregnant mothers and maternal separation so soon after birth.” (See letter to PNAS signed by 250 scientists including primatologists)

Not only did Livingstone just conduct this horribly abusive “study” that produced no results, but in the recent past, she took pleasure in sewing baby monkey’s eyes shut to “study” other things. However, as she herself admits, she doesn’t study animal behavior……

Sadly, as is per usual, just as in the case with Envigo, the USDA is not doing its job.

We see several violations that the USDA has noted with no repercussions:

March 14, 2021: An investigator at the lab leaves a divider open allowing for two female monkeys to engage throughout the night which causes fighting and severe lacerations, scratches, bruising, and other resulting injuries to both feet and non-weight-bearing lameness on one leg requiring daily veterinary care. (See report: #3 and #4).

October 15, 2021: Harvard receives a letter from OLAW for the following noncompliance items.

1. General failure to adhere to institutional policies and procedures.
2. Use of expired analgesics.
3. Failure to adhere to the IACUC-approved protocol and the conduct of animal- related activities without prior IACUC review and approval.

This included but was not limited to: no secondary methods of euthanasia as required and off-protocol procedures for cardiac punctures, blood-draws and non-survival surgeries. (See report: #1)

Harvard Medicine states its mission very clearly on its website:

“To nurture a diverse, inclusive community dedicated to alleviating suffering and improving health and well-being for all through excellence in teaching and learning, discovery and scholarship, and service and leadership.”

It also states:

Integrity & Accountability

  • We conduct our work honestly and ethically.
  • We lead responsibly, hold ourselves accountable and empathetically share constructive feedback.
  • We speak up and empower others to do the same.”

We are doing so, we are speaking up, along with the research community, who has done so, that you are, and have been, acting unethically, and this needs to stop now.

In Harvard’s 2021 Annual USDA report it had 48 non-human primates in Column “D”, which is the “number of animals upon which experiments, teaching, research, surgery or tests were conducted involving accompanying pain or distress to the animals and for which appropriate anesthetics, analgesics, or tranquilizing drugs were used.” (See report: #2)

On its face this is not right, but based on Harvard’s 2021 history of reports it certainly cannot be trusted that these animals had been given any pain alleviating drugs that were not expired, given appropriately, or given at all.

These animals deserve better.

Kari Bagnall, Founder & Executive Director of Jungle Friends Primate Sanctuary stated, “As a former Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) for abused and neglected children we know all too well how maternal deprivation affects children. Since the early 1940s we have learned that children should experience a continuous relationship with their mothers or they may have significant and irreversible mental health consequences.

As the founder of Jungle Friends Primate Sanctuary I have witnessed the effects of baby monkeys stolen from their mothers and raised by humans. The monkeys have similar stereotypical behaviors as the children I worked with — self grasping, rocking, and digit sucking to sooth themselves, which could elevate to self-harm and mutilation. The children I worked with would cut themselves with knives, whereas the monkeys would self-attack, some to the point of biting off digits.”

Professor of Biological Sciences at the University of Southern California, Craig Stanford emphatically stated, “Studies such as those by Livingstone very rarely produce results that could not have been achieved without the abuse of laboratory monkeys. They are medically unnecessary. And they are a shameful and inexcusable act of animal abuse that nearly all researchers would abhor.”

 


 

Mia has found her forever fairytale home with The Duke & Duchess of Sussex!

 

Earlier this month, the royal couple visited BFP to adopt a pup! The Duchess expressed that she’s long supported BFP and wanted to give a loving home to an Envigo survivor, preferably an older dog in need. After playing with sweet Momma Mia, they knew she was the one! Click below to read all about it in the Los Angeles Times.

 

 


 

Introducing Mia and her 8 puppies, free at last from Envigo!

 

Mia spent her entire life in a cage at Envigo, being forced to breed litter after litter for laboratories. Her puppies were destined for the same fate or to be sent to research facilities as test subjects. Mia is now a senior who will need medical care for arthritis and a mass under her chin. But we’re so happy that she is finally free to be a dog, and her sweet puppies will never have to set foot inside a lab!

 

This family of 9 came from a crowded shelter that reached out for assistance through BFP’s Shelter Safeguard program, which helps shelters rehome lab testing survivors. Unfortunately, as Envigo’s 4,000 beagles continue to be dispersed to shelters across the country, a tragic trickle-down effect is occurring in which other adoptable dogs are being killed to make room. This is yet another reason animal testing must end! BFP encourages any shelter in this difficult position to reach out for support.

Shelters and adopters can also download our Envigo Care Guide for expert advice on caring for these special-needs animals.

Donate to help us care for more families to come!

 

 


 

ENVIGO HAS CLOSED—NOW LET’S FREE THE BEAGLES!

 

On June 13, 2022, Envigo announced they are closing! Thank you for making this happen with your letters, phone calls, emails, petition signatures, donations, and so much more. Now, we are moving quickly to get the beagles into our safe and loving arms. Please help us as we continue our efforts to make sure every last beagle is safe and sound.

Prior to and following our campaign’s historic victory, we conducted extensive outreach to all stakeholders involved in the fate of these dogs, including the U.S. Department of Justice, Envigo leadership, the USDA, multiple members of Congress, and animal shelters and advocacy groups across the country. BFP has over a decade of expertise in rehabilitating and rehoming animals used in research labs, and we are ready to assist with finding forever families for these dogs.

Above all, after everything these animals have endured, our focus is on ensuring they are placed in the right environment with patient caregivers who give them time to heal, build trust, and discover the joy of being a dog.

To that end, we have distributed educational materials to shelters that have received beagles from Envigo on what to expect when caring for a special-needs animal from such a unique environment. We’ve also sent guidance specifically for fosters and adopters on navigating the behavioral challenges common among testing survivors to help prevent these dogs from being surrendered back to a shelter.

 

 

BFP has been providing this type of guidance for many years as part of our Shelter Safeguard program, in which shelters and rescues that notice a laboratory tattoo or ear tag on an animal are encouraged to contact us for assistance.

Looking towards a future without animal testing

Labs like Envigo will continue to harm innocent animals if policy is not created to stop them! BFP is diligently working to end animal testing by advocating for better legislation while we continue to rescue animals who come into harm’s way.

The FDA Modernization Act of 2021 (H.R. 2565 and S. 2952) would eliminate the FDA’s animal testing requirement, enabling researchers to use the best scientific methods available. We’re happy to say the House of Representatives passed this bill on June 9, but we still need your help to get it passed in the Senate and signed into law. This bill would benefit everyone by helping to:

 

  • Save millions of animals
  • Cut red tape
  • Decrease drug development time
  • Reduce drug prices
  • Find new cures for diseases, saving human lives

Sign our petition today to END the needless animal suffering caused by the FDA’s outdated requirements. Together, we can move one step closer to a world without animal testing!

 

End Envigo

 

End Envigo

 

End Envigo

 

End Envigo

 

Intentionally starving nursing mothers and puppies for no scientific purpose, killing dogs without anesthesia, worms, maggots, spiders and filth in the food, dangerous conditions allowing puppies to fall and get caught under cages and die…. These are just a few of the violations that have occurred at the Cumberland, VA Envigo facility where the USDA has YET TO REVOKE ITS LICENSE!

You helped END ENVIGO! Now…. LET’S GET THE BEAGLES!

End Envigo

 

Beagle Freedom Project
On June 13th, Envigo announced the closure of its two Virginia facilities! The horrific Cumberland facility was the subject of undercover investigations and countless USDA inspection reports citing extreme violations of the Animal Welfare Act is finally HISTORY, following months of intense public pressure and a lawsuit from the US Department of Justice. THANK YOU to everyone who helped make this happen by signing our letters and petitions, sharing social posts, donating, and otherwise supporting this fight—this would not have happened without you!

While we are celebrating that thousands of dogs will be freed from Envigo’s filthy cages and horrors, one BIG question remains—WHERE will the dogs go? BFP is working diligently to be part of the rehoming process for these special-needs dogs who require rehabilitation and extra-loving care ….We will keep you updated as we have more information.

Although the closure of the Virginia Envigo locations as well as 2 others (Haslett, MI and Boyertown, PA) are huge steps forward, the cruelty continues at Inotiv, Envigo’s parent company. We will continue to monitor Inotiv, including its notorious facility in Indiana.

We need your help!

Please donate to help us continue this critical work

Beagle Freedom Project
Beagle Freedom Project
While the USDA continues to do nothing, the US Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against Envigo that only asked the Virginia court to address Envigo’s horrific violations and order them to stop breaking the law instead of pushing for the greatest penalties. Judge Norman K. Moon immediately issued a temporary restraining order that temporarily halted Envigo from the breeding and selling of beagles until they complied with fixing specific violations. He even delivered a scathing reprimand in his ruling, including these highlights:
Beagle Freedom Project
Beagle Freedom Project
Beagle Freedom Project
Beagle Freedom Project
Even though Federal officials seized some severely sick dogs, in his ruling, Judge Moon commented that “… many more beagles still face inadequate food and water, veterinary care, and the other torturous conditions described”. But we want to know – where did these beagles go? Are they receiving the intense physical and mental care they so desperately need because of the torture and cruelty they have endured?

THIS FIGHT IS NOT OVER AS THIS IS ONLY TEMPORARY! Together, we’ll continue making our voices heard for the dogs still trapped and suffering at Envigo. Please sign our letter urging the USDA to immediately shut down Envigo FOR GOOD and release ALL the dogs to BFP.

Beagle Freedom Project
Beagle Freedom Project
Right now, there are 5,000 dogs trapped and suffering at Envigo’s breeding and testing facility in Cumberland, VA.

While these dogs endure unimaginable cruelty, Envigo, an Inotiv company, continues to spin a web of lies with manipulative messaging that deceives the public—so we’re setting the record straight!

Envigo wants you to think that they take monitoring the health of their dogs very seriously.

But the TRUTH is… Envigo has had repeat violations for neglecting sick or injured dogs and failing to provide even basic veterinary care, resulting in hundreds of painful deaths.

Beagle Freedom Project
Envigo wants you to think that they provide the best possible environment for their dogs.

But the TRUTH is… Envigo has had repeat violations for filthy, feces-covered cages crawling with insects, dangerous flooring, and corpses left to decay among the other dogs.

Beagle Freedom Project
Envigo wants you to think that their dogs have access to nutritious food.

But the TRUTH is… Envigo has had repeat violations for rotten, maggot-filled food and moldy, hard-to-reach feeders, resulting in fighting and some dogs going hungry.

Beagle Freedom Project
Envigo wants you to think that they invested more than $3M to fund new outdoor play areas.

But the TRUTH is… Envigo was cited for having severe structural damage in most of the enclosures, as well as piles of feces so high that dogs couldn’t access their food or water, let alone the outdoors, without possible injury.

Beagle Freedom Project
Tell Envigo you see through their lies and won’t stand for their deceit and abuse. Urge the USDA to shut them down immediately and release the dogs to BFP for adoption into a loving family!
Beagle Freedom Project