University of Wisconsin-Madison's Violations of the Animal Welfare Act Keep Coming

2/22/2022

On April 15, 2020, the United States Department of Agriculture cited the University of Wisconsin-Madison for multiple violations of the Animal Welfare Act (AWA)* and fined the university $74,000.

The cited violations occurred over a period just short of four years: from March 4, 2015 to April 25, 2019. The violations involved at least 67 animals of covered species; the overwhelming majority were monkeys injured during routine housekeeping and husbandry. The last reported violation involving monkeys stated that three monkeys were left without water for four days. One was euthanized.

The last violation in the citation was dated April 25, 2019. It involved three cages of mice who were left unfed for three days. One mouse had been partially cannibalized; that mouse had hair, paper, and bedding in their stomach. A second mouse was euthanized. (The overwhelming majority of mice used are not covered by the Animal Welfare Act. The mice in the citation were members of a species that is covered.)

Since April 25, 2019, to January 18, 2022 a period of just under 3 years, the University of Wisconsin-Madison has reported additional violations involving 50 animals of covered species. The frequency and severity of the violations has remained constant. The USDA Office of the Inspector Generals has reported that large institutions using animals covered by the Animal Welfare Act see these fines as a mere “cost of doing business.”

*United States Department of Agriculture, U. States Department of Agriculture, & Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, A. and Plant Health Inspection Service. (2017). USDA Animal Care: Animal Welfare Act and Animal Welfare Regulations.