In listening to PETA's latest claims, I urge the public to consider the documented history and the source.
(PORTLAND, Ore.) - PETA has once again set its sights on OHSU. Over the past couple of weeks we have seen their press releases and opinion pieces frequently posted on Salem-News. It's no secret that their strategy is to state old and new allegations repeatedly in the hopes that Oregon residents will be swayed.
However what's noteworthy about PETA's latest allegations is that they stand in sharp contrast to established facts provided by independent, unbiased organizations - organizations charged with ensuring that health research using animals is conducted humanely. This documentation can be viewed by visiting: ohsu.edu/primatecenterfacts
At the web site you can see this year's two spotless USDA inspections and glowing accreditation review that took place before and after PETA placed their infiltrator among OHSU health researchers, veterinarians and dedicated animal care staff.
We also ask that the public consider a few of the following facts before making up their minds:
PETA is an organization with a $29 million annual budget and a mission to end all health research with animals. PETA's claims should come as a surprise to no one. In fact, PETA's extreme bias against research raises significant questions about its credibility and motives; especially when weighed against this year's outstanding reviews by neutral organizations and international animal care experts.
There have been several previous attempts by PETA and others to discredit the university and health research as a whole. In 2004, PETA's Web site claimed an epidemic at our primate center caused nearly 400 hundred infant deaths. The story was later shown to be untrue. PETA and other animal activists either misread or misused an annual census report which documented that nearly 400 monkeys at the primate center had turned one year old and were now no longer considered infants. In other words, the animals didn't die, they just celebrated a birthday.
More recently, PETA made claims of homophobia about OHSU's sheep research which was aimed at understanding partner preference. Upon reviewing news coverage and the details of our research, The Guardian newspaper in the U.K. proclaimed reports of PETA's claims to be "little more than dystopian (horrific) fantasy, conjured up by a pressure group to drive an agenda."
Back in 2000, another planted employee with ties to PETA made claims of mistreatment. In that case, federal animal care experts spent two months investigating our facility and pouring over documents. Again, we were cleared. The investigation found that OHSU broke no laws and no fines or penalties were issued. Of course investigations take time so the public tends to remember the allegations, not the outcome. This may be why PETA's Justin Goodman repeated some of the events of 2000 in his recent Salem-News Op-Ed without disclosing the fact that OHSU was cleared.
In listening to PETA's latest claims, I urge the public to consider the documented history and the source.
PETA's Claims about OHSU: Consider the Source and the Documented HistorySalem-News.com