I occasionally receive e-mails from the U.S. Humane Society, and whenever one shows up with a months-long undercover investigative report and accompanying video, I know I’m in for some serious heartbreak. Yes, there are those who say “then why watch it” and some who even say “I can’t bear to watch those,” but ignoring a problem or turning a blind eye — particularly when it comes to any kind of abuse — is to deny help or justice to those without a voice.
And, when it comes to animal rights, there’s no professional organization working harder than the HSUS. Because of them, legislation has improved the lives of hundreds of thousands of farm and domestic animals.
Their most recent nine-month-long undercover investigation exposed the mistreatment of nearly 300 chimpanzees and other primates at the New Iberia Research Center (NIRC) in Louisiana. Living lives of deprivation and misery, these chimps are among the more than 1,000 chimpanzees languishing in laboratories across the United States.
ABC News: Nightline broke the story on March 4. Each animal’s suffering detailed in the report was wrenching, but the story of 26 elder chimps currently warehoused at the facility was particularly poignant. These 26 chimps were taken from their mothers in the wild, and have since lived a life behind bars. The oldest, Karen, was captured in 1958, when Dwight D. Eisenhower was still president.
Newly released images from the investigation reveal the psychological distress lab officials cited as “standard industry practice.”
I encourage you to watch the video and then contact your congressman as well as Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal. (The HSUS pages will provide the contact information.)
Thank you.