Post by Jodi on Jan 5, 2006 20:23:34 GMT -5
SPCA sues lab over its animal research
Thursday, January 05, 2006
BY BRIAN T. MURRAY
Star-Ledger Staff
The New Jersey Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals has sued Huntingdon Life Sciences of Somerset County, challenging its use of animals in laboratory research just weeks before six animal rights activists are to be tried on charges that they waged a terror campaign against the company.
The NJSPCA, a private quasi-police agency operating under an 1868 animal cruelty law, insisted yesterday it was not embracing the activists' cause. It filed the lawsuit in Middlesex County, charging the Britain-based firm with more than 100 counts of animal cruelty.
But the lawsuit, like the activists, lambastes HLS's use of animals in product research, and the case is based largely on decade-old incidents that People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals said they videotaped in 1996 and 1997 through an undercover operative.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture probed the PETA charges in 1998, when it also reached a federal court settlement with HLS to improve conditions for animals held at its East Millstone facility. But HSL had also sued PETA, and the alleged evidence PETA gathered had been sealed, until last year, under a federal court settlement reached in the case.
"The USDA did its investigation, but the NJSPCA has its own duties under state law," said NJSPCA spokesman Matt Stanton. "More importantly, this is not the NJSPCA taking up the cause for PETA or Stop Huntingdon Animal Cruelty."
But federal law enforcement authorities were skeptical yesterday, since six SHAC activists are due to appear in federal court in three weeks. The U.S. attorney charges they used the Internet to post the names and addresses of HLS customers and company employees in a "campaign of thuggery and intimidation" aimed at destroying HLS.
"It is very curious timing," said Michael Drewniak, a spokesman for U.S. Attorney Chris Christie in Newark, of the lawsuit.
One federal law enforcement official questioned what he called "an odd alliance" in the case, noting the NJSPCA hired the Morristown law firm of Niedweske Barber, which has been representing the New Jersey Animal Rights Alliance in an unrelated case. NJARA regularly protests outside the HLS facility and demonstrates in support of the SHAC defendants.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture, which routinely inspects the HLS facility, also questioned the NJSPCA action.
"The New Jersey Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, if they believe Huntingdon Life Sciences is in violation of the Animal Welfare Act, can contact our regional office, just as any citizen can, and we'd be happy to investigate any complaint," said spokesman Darby Holladay.
HLS has not been in violation of the federal Animal Welfare Act, which guides the treatment of laboratory animals, since the PETA probe prompted a USDA inspection in 1998, said Holladay. HLS was hit with 23 violations, but the USDA said it did not find the type of abuse charged by PETA.
HLS spokesman Michael Caulfield disputed the renewed accusations of abuse.
"The USDA was just here yesterday, and we got the usual no-citations report," he added, producing a USDA inspection letter to back up his claim.
Thursday, January 05, 2006
BY BRIAN T. MURRAY
Star-Ledger Staff
The New Jersey Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals has sued Huntingdon Life Sciences of Somerset County, challenging its use of animals in laboratory research just weeks before six animal rights activists are to be tried on charges that they waged a terror campaign against the company.
The NJSPCA, a private quasi-police agency operating under an 1868 animal cruelty law, insisted yesterday it was not embracing the activists' cause. It filed the lawsuit in Middlesex County, charging the Britain-based firm with more than 100 counts of animal cruelty.
But the lawsuit, like the activists, lambastes HLS's use of animals in product research, and the case is based largely on decade-old incidents that People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals said they videotaped in 1996 and 1997 through an undercover operative.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture probed the PETA charges in 1998, when it also reached a federal court settlement with HLS to improve conditions for animals held at its East Millstone facility. But HSL had also sued PETA, and the alleged evidence PETA gathered had been sealed, until last year, under a federal court settlement reached in the case.
"The USDA did its investigation, but the NJSPCA has its own duties under state law," said NJSPCA spokesman Matt Stanton. "More importantly, this is not the NJSPCA taking up the cause for PETA or Stop Huntingdon Animal Cruelty."
But federal law enforcement authorities were skeptical yesterday, since six SHAC activists are due to appear in federal court in three weeks. The U.S. attorney charges they used the Internet to post the names and addresses of HLS customers and company employees in a "campaign of thuggery and intimidation" aimed at destroying HLS.
"It is very curious timing," said Michael Drewniak, a spokesman for U.S. Attorney Chris Christie in Newark, of the lawsuit.
One federal law enforcement official questioned what he called "an odd alliance" in the case, noting the NJSPCA hired the Morristown law firm of Niedweske Barber, which has been representing the New Jersey Animal Rights Alliance in an unrelated case. NJARA regularly protests outside the HLS facility and demonstrates in support of the SHAC defendants.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture, which routinely inspects the HLS facility, also questioned the NJSPCA action.
"The New Jersey Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, if they believe Huntingdon Life Sciences is in violation of the Animal Welfare Act, can contact our regional office, just as any citizen can, and we'd be happy to investigate any complaint," said spokesman Darby Holladay.
HLS has not been in violation of the federal Animal Welfare Act, which guides the treatment of laboratory animals, since the PETA probe prompted a USDA inspection in 1998, said Holladay. HLS was hit with 23 violations, but the USDA said it did not find the type of abuse charged by PETA.
HLS spokesman Michael Caulfield disputed the renewed accusations of abuse.
"The USDA was just here yesterday, and we got the usual no-citations report," he added, producing a USDA inspection letter to back up his claim.