What's with PETA going crazy over Columbia?

Colleges and Universities A-Z Columbia University
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<p>Well I've received an email from PETA that said</p>

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... by Dr. Catherine Dell'Orto, a veterinarian who worked in a laboratory at Columbia and was horrified to witness the "cruel and negligent" treatment of animals. Her accounts were sickening and enraging:</p>

<p>"What I saw at Columbia still gives me nightmares. I saw baboons whose left eyes had been cut out—so that major blood vessels could be clamped off through the empty sockets to induce strokes—and who had collapsed in their cages, unable to lift their heads, eat, or drink after this horrendous surgery. They were left in these dire conditions without any painkillers ?. In another experiment, in which baboon fetuses are infused with nicotine, I saw a pregnant baboon who had lost 40 percent of her bodyweight. It was a tragic sight, and resulted from nothing short of intentional neglect, as her condition had been documented on her chart for weeks."</p>

<p>.... the stroke experiments on baboons were canceled. Dr. Dell'Orto's supervisor, who had allowed the abuses to go unchecked, was fired. The U.S. government then cited and fined Columbia for violations of the Animal Welfare Act. Columbia also had to create a full-time position to ensure that the animals in its laboratories receive environmental enrichment to ease the misery of life in a cage.

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<p>And there's a whole website devoted to it too: Columbia</a> University's Primate Cruelty</p>

<p>Haven't really looked at the website, but just wondering what's up..</p>

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<p>I know from my d that columbia does follow very strict guidelines about ethical treatment of animals used in labs. </p>

<p>I don't think PETA is a hugely credible source for good and accurate info.</p>

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<p>yeah, plus that's the medical school and campus. we don't even see protesters at the main Morningside campus except on very rare occasions.</p>

<p>Basically, if you think PETA is level-headed and on the right track, you have something to be concerned about. If, like me, you think they're a bunch of loonies who have WAAAAAAY overvalued the idea that "animals ought to be protected", then you can safely ignore this. If you're somewhere in the middle, you can pretty much safely ignore this, because Columbia's been following all regulations with respect to treatment of animals as far as the Feds are concerned.</p>

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If you're somewhere in the middle, you can pretty much safely ignore this, because Columbia's been following all regulations with respect to treatment of animals as far as the Feds are concerned.

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<p>Because following regulations established by the Feds means so much. Confer Fannie, Freddie, WaMu, et al. ;)</p>

<p>But I agree. PETA is just a bunch of anti-capitalist commies who shouldn't be taken seriously.</p>