SPCA investigates UBC’S treatment of monkeys

Animal rights group alleges four macaque were killed after being injected with neurotoxins

The University of British Columbia is being investigated by the BC SPCA due to allegations that 14 macaque monkeys used in a brain research project are being subjected to cruel experiments.

The SPCA is also looking into allegations the monkeys are not under the scrutiny of the UBC Animal Care Committee and that four monkeys have been killed because they were severely disabled as a result of experiments related to Parkinson’s disease research.

The complaints were laid by a research animal watchdog called Stop UBC Animal Research, which has long been concerned with the experiments conducted by Dr. Doris Doudet, a professor in the university’s department of neurology. Doudet is out of the country and couldn’t comment, according to UBC spokesman Randy Schmidt.

Anne Birthistle, of Stop UBC Animal Research, said the monkeys are injected with neurotoxins that damage their brains so badly they have to be killed.

A 2010 progress report by Doudet also noted some animals are killed after six months or a year.

Aside from the cruelty involved, Birthistle said she is concerned Doudet is able to avoid scrutiny by the university’s Animal Care Committee by calling her research work a “pilot project.”

“The difficulty with pilot projects is they don’t need ACC approval so they aren’t being reviewed. They’ll say it’s to save time and expense and they only need a small number of animals. But we see it’s a way around any oversight.

“It’s tragic. I’m hoping the SPCA will prevent them from being further tormented,” she said, adding she’d like to see the remaining monkeys seized by the SPCA and brought into care.

BC SPCA’S head of cruelty investigations, Marcie Moriarty, said the society will be investigating the group’s concerns and a constable who has expertise in animal research will visit the facility.

She said it’s not common for the SPCA to investigate complaints regarding research animals, but this case will be treated like any other cruelty investigation.

The SPCA’S position statement regarding the use of animals in research states, in part, experiments that are “unacceptable because of pain, suffering or distress caused to the animals,” should be prohibited.

“Until the use of animals in research is eliminated, the BC SPCA will work for improved protection of these animals,” it states.

The statement also says a national organization, the Canadian Council on Animal Care, provides oversight on animals used in governmentfunded testing and research, but participation in its programs is voluntary.

The SPCA believes there should be “an independently funded and legislated central agency,” responsible for ensuring standards of care for research animals.

Birthistle said UBC’S Animal Care Committee reports to the Canadian Council on Animal Care, but under the university’s rules the committee can only inspect animals once every three years and with 30 days notice.

“They have very little oversight,” she said.

No one from UBC was available by press time to comment specifically on the SPCA investigation or the experiments.