A research watchdog group is calling the University of Pennsylvania the most prolific lawbreaker in the country for violating the Animal Welfare Act.
The group is called “SAEN,” or Stop Animal Exploitation Now. Executive director Michael Budkie says his group analyzed inspection reports from the US Department of Agriculture for 2005 and found the University of Pennsylvania had the highest number of violations for problems involving lab animals:
“During a nine-month period, the University of Pennsylvania violated the Animal Welfare Act 77 times, which is about twice a week.”
Budkie says in comparison, the #2 violator had 27 violations.
According to the group, Penn’s problems included improper surgical procedures, using expired drugs, failing to report illnesses, and failing to properly administer pain relievers.
A written statement from Penn says animal care is taken seriously, and the deficiencies cited were minor and have been resolved.
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