Pls. Stop New Puerto Rican Primate Breeding Lab !

municipiodeguayama@hotmail.com, pfgma@coqui.net, PR00-WYR@housemail.house.gov, case.work@mail.house.gov, ECruz@fortaleza.gobierno.pr, PedroPierluisi@mail.house.gov

Puerto Rico Governor Luis G. Fortuño
La Fortaleza
P.O. Box 902008
San Juan
Puerto Rico 00902-0082

Hon. Glorimari Jaime
Municipio Autonomo de Guayama
Oficina de Plan de Orden Territorial
P.O. Box 360, Guayama, Puerto Rico 00785-0360
 
Congressman Pedro Pierluisi
1218 Longworth HOB; Washington, DC 20515


Estimados Senores y Senoras,

I am, amongst many others around the world, very concerned over recent reports of plans to build a primate breeding and supply facility in Guayama City. I understand the project, led by the Bioculture company, will ship long-tailed macaques and their offspring from Mauritius for use in research. This proposal is a major step backwards at a time when use of nonhuman primates in research is questioned by scientists, ethicists and others worldwide.

Primates are intelligent, social animals with complex behavioral and psychological needs. Perhaps you are unaware of their fate inside research laboratories. These animals are subjected to extreme pain and suffering. For example, many are used in toxicity testing which involves the forced ingestion, inhalation or injection of poisonous chemicals. After years of abuse, the animals are killed. Many researchers now agree that primate experimentation is scientifically unnecessary and morally unacceptable.

I am disheartened to learn that Puerto Rico plans to to become a major player in the supply of primates for research. Such a move will not only result in the suffering of thousands of monkeys, it will also have a negative and detrimental impact on Puerto Rico's image abroad.

Stop the building of a primate breeding facility in Guayama City
in Puerto Rico. There is already local opposition to this construction and
we want to stop Puerto Rico from becoming a major player in the cruel trade in primates for research!!

Sinceramente,