CLAY CENTER, Neb. — USDA has opened a 60-day review and ordered an update to its animal welfare plan at all 49 federal centers that perform livestock research – in response to a recent New York Times story of animal abuse.
In a Jan. 19 front-page article, the Times claimed that cows, pigs and sheep experience high mortality rates and extreme suffering in taxpayer-subsidized ag studies at the U.S. Meat Animal Research Center (MARC) in Clay Center, Neb. About 30,000 animals are housed at the facility.
The article reported that newborn animals were put at risk when abandoned lambs were left to die in fields, sows bred to deliver up to 14 piglets, and heifers bred to give birth to twins – among other graphic depictions. The story can be found at www.nytimes.com
In the lead paragraph, the writer claims that the motive for these alleged misdeeds is increased profits for the "21st-century meat industry."
USDA and MARC representatives said they will not answer questions from the media until the review period is complete. A Farm World request for an interview with MARC director, Emil Pollak, was denied last week.
However, MARC issued a public statement:
"We take this issue very seriously and are taking action to ensure animals are respected and treated humanely. Two of the research projects featured in the recent New York Times report had already been terminated, and some of the specific incidents described were from many years or decades ago," said Catherine Woteki, undersecretary for research, education and economics at USDA.
The review is to "ascertain the facts regarding current practices at this and other USDA research facilities and to provide recommendations to strengthen humane handling procedures," Woteki added.
By contrast, public and even legislative response has been rapid. Media reports have disseminated the story from the Times, provoking public reaction. Nearly 44,000 people have signed a PETA petition to close MARC, and similar petitions are circulating, as well.
Prompted by the Times report, a bill that would apply the Animal Welfare Act to animals used in ag research was introduced to Congress on Feb. 5. The bill, labeled the AWARE Act, would remove the exemption for farm animals used in ag research at federal research facilities in the Animal Welfare Act (AWA). The AWA currently covers most animals used in medical research and sets standards for humane care.
"It is time to put a stop to this horrible misuse of taxpayer funds," said AWARE’s sponsor, Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.). "When USDA research facilities experiment on farm animals, they should be held to the same standard as federal research facilities conducting lifesaving disease research with the same kinds of animals."
Both The Humane Society of the United States and the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals immediately announced their support for the bill and appeared in a joint press conference with Rep. Blumenauer and Rep. Mike Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.), also a sponsor of the bill.
"The abuses that the New York Times exposed at the U.S. Meat Research Center are unacceptable in a civilized society," said Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO of the Humane Society.
Pacelle also sent a letter to the editor of the Times, following the initial article, in which he said that this news would provoke more people to buy less meat.
"Is it any wonder that millions of Americans are now cutting their meat consumption and eating higher-welfare animal products when this is how government and agribusiness handle their animal-care responsibilities?" wrote Pacelle.
However, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln is standing by its decades-long relationship with MARC and will continue sending its veterinary students to the center. "The allegations in that article are not consistent with our experiences of the care of animals at the center," said Archie Clutter, dean of UNL’s division of ag research, in an article in the Omaha World-Herald.
Founded 50 years ago to increase the reproduction capacity of cattle, sheep, and swine, while improving the quality of meat, MARC operates on a budget of $22.7 million. It maintains herds of about 12,600 cattle, 14,000 pigs, and 3,800 sheep to conduct field research, according to USDA-Agricultural Research Service, which oversees the center. Nearly 110 scientists, post-doctoral students, and support staff work at the center, conducting experiments on genetics, breeding, reproduction, biological engineering, and animal health.
"The work of the Meat Animal Research Center has helped to advance the success of the U.S. livestock industry. This success is dependent upon the health and welfare of our animals," said Sen. Deb Fischer, a Republican, whose family operates a cattle ranch in Nebraska, as reported by Omaha World-Herald. (www.omaha.com/news)
