An animal rights group wants the federal government to enact a stiffer fine against Emory University for three violations involving primates between 2015 and 2017.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture fined Emory $10,500, but that wasn’t enough, Stop Animal Exploitation NOW! said in a statement released Monday.
"Clearly the USDA is giving Emory University a pass," said Michael A. Budkie, SAEN co-founder, and executive director. "This is a sham. Emory University has been allowed to get away murder."
Maximum fines are $10,000 per violation, SAEN said. Efforts to contact the USDA were unsuccessful late Monday.
The first violation found Emory did not adequate seek alternatives to potentially painful studies of macaques in September 2015. The second violation was a result of Emory leaving materials in the abdomen of a macaque during a surgery in December 2015. The animal was euthanized. The third violation took place in September 2017. A gauze sponge, which is used for post-surgical wound applications or deep wound healing, was found in a primate.
The documents detailing the violations came from USDA records recently obtained by SAEN through a federal records request, Budkie said.
Emory said in a statement Monday it reached a settlement agreement with the USDA last year and remains “steadfastly committed to regularly reviewing our animal care program ... to provide the highest quality humane care for the animals involved in Emory University’s research programs.”