Petition Closed... Printing and Mailing

To: National Institute of Health,


Regarding the research using cats in their eye movement and hearing studies.  We are appalled that the USDA would find absolutely nothing wrong with what is happening at this univeristy.  

According to reports by Dr. Lawrence Hansen, professor in the departments of neurosciences and pathology at...


Regarding the research using cats in their eye movement and hearing studies.  We are appalled that the USDA would find absolutely nothing wrong with what is happening at this univeristy.  

According to reports by Dr. Lawrence Hansen, professor in the departments of neurosciences and pathology at the University of California-San Diego School of Medicine in La Jolla, Calif.  These tests are not only unnecessary, there are alternative methods, that do Not use cats, available and already being done in many universities.  In his words:  "funding the UW-Madison's violent and unnecessary experiments on cats means $3 million less is being spent on research that can actually improve human health and well-being."

Dr. Lawrence states: "For years, the U.S. National Institutes of Health has funded, and UW-Madison has approved, an incredibly cruel sound localization experiment on cats based on the explanation that cutting into the brains of dozens of cats, drilling holes in their skulls, placing wire coils in their eyes, deafening them and starving them into compliance would help the experimenters, in their own words, "keep up a productive publication record that ensures our constant funding." "The faculty members made virtually no claims that these inhumane studies would help treat humans, and that is further evidenced by this work not being cited in studies on human hearing."

I invite you to watch the following video, see for yourself the cruelty that is being unnecessarily inflicted on these animals.  And we ask you to please stop funding this institution to continue their useless experiments on these animals that have absolutely no valid use whatsoever.  Fund them, Only if they are willing to change to using alternative methods.  And eliminate the use of these animals.  

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hTaS7Z3z4e0

Sincerely,




This petition closed on March 31, 2013.

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40,000

41,765 people signed a petition

We have reached 40,000 signatures....  due to the latest update in regards to USDA and federal inspections please take the following actions.......  

1)
Please take a moment to call the Dr. James F. Battey Jr. at the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders and politely ask that his agency immediately stop funding this cruel experiment on cats at UW. 
You can reach Dr. Battey's office at 301-402-0900.

-----------------------------------------------------
The cats in UW's labs are suffering miserably, and they don't have time for more evasions and excuses—now exposed as deceptive spin. Please urge the University of Wisconsin Board of Regents to put an immediate halt to these cruel experiments.

2)
Send the following Letter to the emails listed:

jbbartell@aol.com; jbehling@wrpr.com; mbradley@ruderware.com; jrdrew29@gmail.com; anthony.evers@dpi.wi.gov; mjfalbo2@gmail.com; thiggins@uwalumni.com; tracyhribar.regent@gmail.com; em@rgmlawec.com; rmmillner@uwalumni.com; katherinepointer@gmail.com; cpruitt@abdata.com; garyr328@aol.com; markt@oemfab.com; vasquez.josef@gmail.com; dwalsh@foley.com; gwhitburn@aol.com; anottestad@uwsa.edu; jradue@uwsa.edu; jlathrop@uwsa.edu; mrice@uwsa.edu

Subject: Stop Cruel Experiments on Cats at UW-Madison!

Letter: I was dismayed to learn that the University of Wisconsin-Madison (UW) is still tormenting cats in cruel and useless "sound localization" experiments. Cats used in these experiments have steel coils implanted in their eyes, holes drilled into their skulls, and electrodes implanted in their brains. Sometimes, they even have their ears cut off or are intentionally deafened by having a toxic chemical applied to their inner ear. They are then deprived of food for several days in order to coerce them to look in the direction of sounds during experimental sessions in which their heads are immobilized by a bolt screwed to their skulls. 

Nearly every cat who has been subjected to this experiment has suffered from chronic bacterial infections as a result of the traumatic head and eye wounds inflicted on them. Because experimenters chronically starve these cats for days at a time, their immune systems are weakened. A former UW veterinarian who worked in this laboratory has stated that this makes their infections even more severe and even more difficult for the cats to stave off.

Internal UW documents and photographs obtained by PETA show that one cat subjected to this experiment, an orange tabby cat named Double Trouble, woke up while experimenters were cutting into her head. Like other cats used in these experiments, Double Trouble developed debilitating infections and became lethargic and depressed. She started to twitch and suffered paralysis in half her face. After UW faculty deemed the experiment a failure, Double Trouble was killed and decapitated so that her brain could be examined. 

The experiment with Double Trouble has never been published, and similar studies on other cats are rarely cited and have never been identified as contributing to advancements in improving human hearing. Yet these cruel and sloppy experiments persist at UW. As someone who has authority over the activities of all UW campuses and an obligation to ensure that only worthwhile and ethical research projects are pursued, you are in a position to end this cruel project. I urge you to intervene and stop these experiments immediately.


  1. Update #9

    Posted by Dawn Marie Groth (Campaign Leader) on Apr 4

    I want to thank everyone who signed and helped share this petition, we have reached a fantastic number of 41,765 signatures.    We are now going to the next step.... And will be printing the petition out.  And Mailing it along with photos and information to all the necessary people involved with funding this insidious test at the University of Wisconsin Madison.

    We will keep everyone updated on the results of this action.

    Thank you again!    

    Dawn Groth.  President/Founder,   WEEAC

  2. Update #8

    Posted by Dawn Marie Groth (Campaign Leader) on Mar 18

    JUSTICE FOR DOUBLE TROUBLE . . . . .
    Although the following does state a victory... it still remains to be seen that University of Wisconsin has or will End the experiments on cats.....
    ----------------------------------------------
    Victory: UW-Madison Cat Cruelty Confirmed by Feds

    Following a complaint filed by PETA, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has confirmed PETA's allegations of rampant abuse of cats in a taxpayer-funded brain experiment at the University of Wisconsin–Madison...

    JUSTICE FOR DOUBLE TROUBLE . . . . .
    Although the following does state a victory... it still remains to be seen that University of Wisconsin has or will End the experiments on cats.....
    ----------------------------------------------
    Victory: UW-Madison Cat Cruelty Confirmed by Feds

    Following a complaint filed by PETA, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has confirmed PETA's allegations of rampant abuse of cats in a taxpayer-funded brain experiment at the University of Wisconsin–Madison (UW), where actor James Cromwell was arrested during a protest last month. The USDA also cited UW for violating federal animal protection laws by burning a cat named Broc so badly with a heating pad that she required surgery.

    In a scathing report just obtained by PETA, a federal inspector found "a pattern of recurring infections" and that all the cats whom PETA profiled in its complaint had been "diagnosed with chronic infections" after having steel posts screwed into open wounds on their heads and metal coils implanted into their eyes.

    The USDA noted that some cats, including Slinky, have died because of these infections and that one cat named NJ even had to have her eye removed after the metal coil became the site of frequent serious infections.

    The government report includes never-before-seen heartbreaking photographs of NJ, Broc, and the five other mutilated cats who are still alive in the laboratory. We now know the faces of the other victims of this laboratory besides Double Trouble.

    All these new revelations confirm what PETA has been saying for months: UW tortures animals and lies about it. Even though it knew it wasn't true, in interviews and statements UW has shamelessly claimed that the government had not substantiated any of PETA's allegations and that it wasn't cited for its abuse of cats. In fact, during the same period it was claiming it had been cleared, UW was trying in vain to appeal the government's citation.

    What You Can Do
    More information inside...

  3. Update #7

    Posted by Dawn Marie Groth (Campaign Leader) on Mar 16

    Come on, we are almost at 40,000!!!   Can we do it!!   

    YES! WE! CAN!    :D

  4. Update #6

    Posted by Dawn Marie Groth (Campaign Leader) on Feb 21

    Hello everyone...   we've hit 20,000!!!   this is fantastic!  I thank everyone who has signed and shared!    We are pushing now for as many signatures as we can get.... let's push this number through the roof!   We are up against 2 of the worst laboratories in the USA.  Covance and University of Wisconsin Madison.   Let's keep sharing and pushing !!!

    Thank you all again!   

  5. Update #5

    Posted by Dawn Marie Groth (Campaign Leader) on Feb 14

    In one weeks time we have 13,444 signatures.  This is fantastic... I would love to see this actually hit 25 or  30,000.   The more we have the better when we go to mail the petition to all relevant parties related to University of Wisconsin, as well as the media.

    Thank you all for signing!  Please keep sharing!   Let's make this go viral!

    We can do this.... for the Millions of animals that are tortured in laboratories every year just in the United States alone!    


  6. Update #4

    Posted by Dawn Marie Groth (Campaign Leader) on Feb 11

    A bit of Information on Animals in Laboratories.

    Penicillin was NOT the result of Animals in Laboratories!

    BOTTOM LINE:
    Florey, co-winner of the Nobel Prize for penicillin, administered penicillin to a cat at the same time Fleming was giving it to his sick friend. Florey's cat died. Under certain circumstances, penicillin kills guinea pigs and Syrian hamsters. In addition, penicillin is teratogenic in rats, causing limb malformations in offspring. This is 
    one of the problems with using animals...

    A bit of Information on Animals in Laboratories.

    Penicillin was NOT the result of Animals in Laboratories!

    BOTTOM LINE:
    Florey, co-winner of the Nobel Prize for penicillin, administered penicillin to a cat at the same time Fleming was giving it to his sick friend. Florey's cat died. Under certain circumstances, penicillin kills guinea pigs and Syrian hamsters. In addition, penicillin is teratogenic in rats, causing limb malformations in offspring. This is 
    one of the problems with using animals to predict human response. If you had been Fleming, Florey or one of the other scientists, which species would you have believed? The dead cat? The rabbit that metabolized penicillin so rapidly? The guinea pigs and 
    hamsters it would have killed had it been tested on them? Or the mice on which it worked? 
    Penicillin was not the result of basic research using animals. Animal use actually misled Fleming suggesting penicillin would be ineffective systemically. 

    Full article can be found here:
    http://www.afma-curedisease.org/pdf/penicillin.pdf

  7. Update #3

    Posted by Dawn Marie Groth (Campaign Leader) on Feb 11

    Just overnight we have added nearly 2000 more signatures....  This is moving at warp speed!!   We can do this everyone!!!  Let this university know the world is watching!

    thank you everyone for your help!!

  8. Update #2

    Posted by Dawn Marie Groth (Campaign Leader) on Feb 10

    Fantastic, fantastic fantastic!  Let's keep it up!!  5500 signatures in 48 hours!   

    Share share share!!!  WE CAN DO THIS!!!!    When it is complete,

    This will go to all relevant parties, including media!

  9. Update #1

    Posted by Dawn Marie Groth (Campaign Leader) on Feb 9

    Wow.... in just 24 hours we have 2700 signatures....   That is fantastic!  Before I've even had a chance to send out a mass email.  Since Causes only allows 1 a day :(   

    Thank you everyone for signing and sharing!  let's push this!  We can make this happen!

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