Help change the fate of former lab chimpanzees in United States
posted in 08 Aug 2018

From NEAVS – New England Anti-Vivisection Society (USA)

Did you know that hundreds of chimpanzees still languish in government owned or supported facilities?

You read that right. In November 2015 our government, via the National Institutes of Health (NIH), announced that it would no longer support the use of chimpanzees in research. Almost three years later many chimps are still trapped in labs. Left in the place where they’ve endured unimaginable trauma.

This has gone on too long. These chimpanzees deserve the freedom to breathe fresh air or experience the excitement of climbing a tree. Instead they face a lonely existence in barren steel cages never knowing when the next trauma might occur.

It’s time to move these chimpanzees to sanctuaries immediately. This is your chance to change the fate of these poor chimps. Right now the NIH is accepting public comment on their website. The process of submitting your comment is surprisingly simple.

1. Submit your comment by going to this page on their website.

2. Add in your email address and town/city.

3. Scroll to the bottom of the page to the section that says “Additional Comments”. You can add your comment in this space or you can copy and paste this provided text:

All former laboratory chimpanzees deserve to go to sanctuaries. I disagree that some chimpanzees should not be moved out of laboratories and to sanctuaries because they are sick or aged. Unless a chimpanzee is in the symptomatic final stages of life, any potential risk in transport is far outweighed by the benefits of being in a sanctuary.

There are well-established methods to safely move even ill and elderly chimpanzees. Many of these chimpanzees in fact go on to thrive in a sanctuary, where they receive top-notch veterinary care from doctors who can focus solely on them and build up a one-on-one relationship.

After subjecting these chimpanzees to years of experimentation it is our moral and ethical obligation to move these chimpanzees to a sanctuary immediately.

4. Check the box next to “I’m not a robot” and then hit the submit button.

The whole process took me less than a minute.

Our government says that these remaining chimps are “at risk” because they are infirm or aged. I wholeheartedly disagree with this thinking and I know you do too. Imagine spending the last chapters of your life in the place where you experienced relentless trauma. That is what is happening right now to these chimpanzees. At the sanctuary, experienced caregivers will provide them with the care and support they need.

Tell the NIH enough is enough, it’s time to move these chimpanzees to sanctuaries where they can thrive.

I hope you’ll take a minute to make a big difference in the lives of these chimps. It’s the least we can do. They have survived unthinkable trauma and deserve to live the rest of their lives in peace. Click here to get started.

Nathan Herschler, Executive Director, NEAVS