Keeling Center: Retire Privately Owned Chimpanzees Now

December 11, 2013 • Posted in Action Alerts

Despite the National Institutes of Health (NIH) recently retiring all federally owned chimpanzees (with the significant exception of 50 to be held for "future potential research"), the Michale E. Keeling Center still houses a small number of privately owned chimpanzees who have not been scheduled for retirement.

Candy
Candy, a Chimp Haven sanctuary resident (Chimp Haven)

The Keeling Center and other labs are fighting to hold on to the millions in funding they have received for decades to simply house and maintain chimpanzees – even though all the while, their actual use in research was rapidly dwindling or nonexistent (read about other labs and send additional letters to them here).

Take Action

Please write to University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center President Ronald DePinho, MD, and ask him to retire all privately owned Keeling Center chimpanzees (MD Anderson operates the Keeling Center). It will only take you seconds with this form.

If you prefer, you can use the language below and send to this address:

President Ronald DePinho, MD
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
1515 Holcombe Blvd.
Unit 0091
Houston, TX 77030
RDePinho@mdanderson.org
713-792-2121

Dr. DePinho

It's time to close the chimpanzee program at the Michale E. Keeling Center. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is retiring approximately 90% of its federally owned chimpanzees. But according to data from a 2011 Institute of Medicine (IOM) report, there will remain around 10 to 15 privately owned chimpanzees at your lab.

With recent reports and decisions, the NIH and the IOM have acknowledged what science has known for years – chimpanzees are not viable models for studying human disease (published papers on the topic can be found at releasechimps.org/resources/science-papers). The need for funding or keeping chimpanzees for research has come to the end. Please help the United States join the other scientifically advanced countries who have already ended this practice by retiring ALL privately owned Keeling Center chimpanzees.

I am appealing to you to take the lead and commit your institution to modern and compassionate science in all its endeavors. This can and must start by closing the chimpanzee program at the Keeling Center and releasing all your chimpanzees to sanctuary today!

Sincerely,
Your Name

Top Δ