More than six months after PETA released documentation of the horrors at animal testing hellhole Professional Laboratory and Research Services, Inc. (PLRS)—evidence so shocking that within a week the laboratory had released its dogs and cats to rescue groups up and down the East Coast and shut its doors in shame—the abusers still have not been brought to justice. PETA first met with the local district attorney nearly a year ago and showed him graphic footage of PLRS employees screaming profanities at animals, flinging cats into cages, and kicking, throwing, and dragging dogs. And still no cruelty-to-animals charges.
 

What will it take to make the government bring charges against these abusers? Maybe a few thousand e-mails from PETA Files readers will do the trick. Please take moment to speak up for these animals by sending a polite e-mail to the district attorney asking him to prosecute the PLRS workers and seek justice for all the animals who suffered at their hands.

Written by Michelle Sherrow

  Hugs was one of the roughly 250 animals who were
surrendered by PLRS.

Even though The Hasselhoffs was canceled after just two episodes, 2010 still turned out to be a pretty great year. Thirty-three Chilean miners were rescued after being trapped underground for more than two months, and dog guardians were introduced to the amazing stuffing-free Crazy Critters™ dog toys. While impressive, I am not sure they quite measure up to 2009's Shake Weight®.

2010 was also an outstanding year for PETA. In addition to celebrating 30 years of fighting to end the suffering of animals, PETA scored a number of remarkable victories. Here are a few of them:  

1.      Professional Laboratory and Research Services (PLRS): PLRS surrendered nearly 200 dogs and more than 50 cats and shut its doors just one week after PETA released the results of its shocking undercover investigation of the laboratory and filed a complaint with the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

2.      Nike: After PETA sent Nike undercover footage detailing the gruesome suffering that the exotic-skins industry inflicts on animals, the world's leading shoe manufacturer and its upscale affiliate Cole Haan stopped selling the skins of alligators, snakes, and other animals.

3.      NASA: And who can forget the early holiday gift that PETA and our supporters received when NASA called off plans to conduct cruel radiation experiments on monkeys earlier this month? 

4.      Utah Pound Seizure: Prompted by PETA's shocking undercover investigation inside laboratories at the University of Utah, the state amended its archaic "pound seizure" law so that government-run animal shelters would no longer be forced to sell dogs and cats to laboratories for use in cruel and deadly experiments. PETA's investigation and the new law also prompted the shelter that had been selling the most animals to the university to end the shameful practice. 

5.      U.S. Global Exotics (USGE): After reviewing evidence gathered during PETA's seven-month undercover investigation of this PETCO and PetSmart supplier, Arlington (Texas) Municipal Judge Michael Smith awarded custody of the 26,000 animals rescued from the warehouse to the city of Arlington. USGE closed, the company's empty facility went up for sale, and a federal arrest warrant was issued for USGE owner Jasen Shaw, who is under investigation for smuggling, conspiracy, and aiding and abetting and is believed to be hiding in New Zealand. 

6.      ITO EN, Ltd.: After more than two years of private discussions with PETA, Japan's ITO EN, Ltd.—the world's largest green-tea manufacturer, with more than $3 billion in annual global sales—instituted a new policy against conducting animal tests. 

7.      Lufthansa: Less than a day after PETA released photos of more than 50 beagles who were transported on a Lufthansa cargo plane from the U.S. to an animal testing facility in Scotland, Lufthansa announced a new policy prohibiting the transport of dogs and cats to laboratories.

While this year was marked by some great achievements, we still need your help to make 2011 an even better year for animals. Will you support our lifesaving efforts to stop animal suffering and abuse in the new year and beyond?

Written by Frank Schippers

First, Professional Laboratory Research Services shut its doors just days after PETA released the findings of our disturbing undercover investigation there. Now, Covance's horrendous Vienna, Va., laboratory, which PETA investigated five years ago, is closing up shop. 

During PETA's 11-month investigation at Covance, our investigator documented that workers struck, choked, and screamed obscenities at frightened and "uncooperative" monkeys. Monkeys suffered from rectal prolapses as a result of constant stress and diarrhea, and baby monkeys' noses bled daily because workers shoved hard tubes up their nostrils to pump experimental chemicals and drugs into their stomachs. As a result of PETA's investigation, the U.S. Department of Agriculture cited and fined Covance for serious violations of the Animal Welfare Act.

PETA has actually been battling this laboratory for nearly two decades. I remember participating in a protest outside the facility back when Covance was known as Hazleton Research Labs, a name made famous by the book The Hot Zone, which was about the Ebola outbreak among monkeys at the now-defunct Hazleton laboratory just a few miles away in Reston, Va.

In addition to closing the hellhole in Vienna, Covance has also scrapped plans to build a massive facility in Prince William County, Va., meaning that thousands of animals will be spared years of loneliness, misery, and pain. Pop the champagne corks, folks! And let's hope that this trend involving the shuttering of animal laboratories continues into 2011.

Written by Alisa Mullins