CONTACT INFORMATION �
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Christine Bruske Flowers, Director of the Office of Communications and Public
Liaison
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
P.O. Box 12233, MD NH-10
Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27709-2233
ph: 919-541-3665; fax: 919-541-2260
email:
bruskec@niehs.nih.gov,
cb551b@nih.gov
additional public liaison staff:
rmackar@niehs.nih.gov,
peterso4@niehs.nih.gov,
rozier@niehs.nih.gov
SOURCE:
www.niehs.nih.gov/about/od/oc
pl/index.cfm
https://ned.nih.gov/search/ViewDetails.aspx?
NIHID=0011850382
Dr. Linda S. Birnbaum, Director
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
111 T.W. Alexander BG 101
P.O. Box 12233, MSC B2-01
Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27709
ph: 919-541-3201; fax: 919-541-2260
email:
birnbaumls@niehs.nih.gov
SOURCE:
http://tools.niehs.nih.gov/staff/staffdetail.cfm?
id=12529
Raynard S. Kington, M.D., NIH Director (Acting)
National Institutes of Health
Building 1 - Shannon Building, 126
1 Center Drive
Bethesda, MD 20892
ph: 301-496-7322; fax: 301-402-2700
email:
kingtonr@mail.nih.gov
SOURCE:
https://ned.nih.gov/search/ViewDetails.aspx?
NIHID=0010804157
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SAMPLE LETTER �
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This Letter
Dear Ms. Flowers, Dr. Birnbaum, and Dr. Kington:
Please permanently delete "The Lucky Puppy" from all National Institutes of Health
(NIH) websites. Young children may not realize that this
coloring workbook is a tall tale about animal experimentation.
The Lucky Puppy presents a distorted view of animal research:
"She had mice in her lab. They lived in nice, clean cages." Mice, rats and birds are
not even protected under the Animal Welfare Act (AWA). Lab
animals typically don't receive veterinary aid or pain medication. Lab technicians
are unskilled in surgical procedures or animal care. Animals
are deprived of food, water and hygienic housing. Their enclosures are overcrowded
(with mice, this can lead to cannibalism and smothering).
Environmental enrichment is rare. Record-keeping is often haphazard.
But the NIH knows this, since the examples above are drawn from the agency's own
documentation on labs that have failed to comply with
federal law.
"Mice were fed good food. But they were sick with the same disease Lucky had."
Lab mice are not sick. Experimenters artificially
induce human disease and injury. In this contrived setting, animal stress alone "can
influence the researcher's understanding of scientific
discovery." Results may be inapplicable to human health and safety, according to a
report in Contemporary Topics in Laboratory Animal
Science.
"'But how can animal medicine be good for children?' Matt asked. Dr. Smith smiled
and answered, 'The mice in the lab, puppies like Lucky
and children like you are all animals. Our bodies might look different, but we really
are very much alike under our skin!'" Anatomical,
physiological, cellular, genetic and psychological variations between species make
accurate correlations between animals and people unlikely.
Animal experiments delay progress rather than accelerate it. For example, researchers
recognize primates do not contract the human strain of
AIDS or develop its clinical symptoms. Of 85 HIV/AIDS vaccines tested in animals,
each one failed in 197 human trials. Furthermore, U.S.
deaths or injuries linked to drug therapies more than doubled from 1998 to 2005,
according to findings in the Archives of Internal Medicine.
Each recalled drug had proven "safe" in animal tests.
Still, animals are mutilated, paralyzed, and burned. Toxins are poured into their
eyes. Corrosives are smeared on shaved skin. Poisons are
forcibly ingested. They vomit, convulse, hemorrhage, and die.
In reality, animal experimentation makes a lousy kids book. Why not flaunt advances
in animal-free technology? "Nowadays, Mr. Cell and his
in vitro friends, Cell Lines and Cellular Components, let scientists try out medicine
in stuff that actually comes from humans! That's how we
make sure the medicine works and is safe for children, instead of just mice."
I urge you to remove The Lucky Puppy and similar propaganda from the biomedical
research industry.
Sincerely,
