5 Ways to Help Close the Cruel Washington National Primate Research Center
The federally funded Washington National Primate Research Center (WaNPRC) at the University of Washington (UW) rakes in tens of millions of tax dollars but hasn’t complied with even the most basic animal protection laws. Monkeys have died from strangulation, starvation, dehydration, veterinary error, and choking on their own vomit.
Internal documents reveal that in one recent eight-month period, the primate center had to treat a staggering 332 traumatic injuries (such as broken limbs and teeth), more than 200 cases of gastrointestinal problems, 149 cases of significant weight loss, 19 cases of rectal prolapse, and a dozen implant abnormalities.
Monkeys are sentient beings who experience pain, suffering, joy, and fear, just as humans do. In nature, they live in large family groups and form strong bonds with one another. They play, eat, explore, and socialize together. They’re also empathic, often risking their own lives to help others. They need to be protected, not experimented on.
Please take the actions below to help close down this cruel primate research center.
1. Call UW and leave a message.
Call UW’s Board of Regents at 206-543-1633. Leave a message politely urging it to close down the WaNPRC. Using your own words is always more compelling, but feel free to reference the talking points below.
Talking points
- Close down the cruel UW primate research center. Torturing living beings is wrong, and monkeys don’t exist to be experimented on.
- Redirect resources away from primate experiments and toward cutting-edge, human-relevant, non-animal research.
- Retire the primates to reputable sanctuaries and give them the kind of life that they so richly deserve.
2. Contact UW on Facebook and X.
UW needs to close down the WaNPRC. It knows that the center hasn’t contributed to treatments for humans and that its experiments have helped to drive species of monkeys toward extinction. Post a comment on Facebook and X, urging the school to shut down the primate research center. Feel free to use the UW talking points below.
Talking points
- Close down the cruel UW primate research center. Torturing living beings is wrong, and monkeys don’t exist to be experimented on.
- Redirect resources away from primate experiments and toward cutting-edge, human-relevant, non-animal research.
- Retire the primates to reputable sanctuaries and give them the kind of life that they so richly deserve.
3. Contact the NIH on social media.
The NIH needs to immediately stop funding the WaNPRC. It knows that the center hasn’t contributed to human treatments and that its experiments have driven monkey species toward extinction. Comment on the NIH’s Facebook, Instagram, and X pages, urging the organization to stop funding the primate research center! Using your own words is always more compelling, but you can also use the NIH talking points for inspiration.
Talking points
- Please immediately stop funding the cruel UW primate research center. Torturing living beings is wrong, and monkeys don’t exist to be experimented on.
- Redirect resources away from primate experiments and toward cutting-edge, human-relevant, non-animal research.
4. Email the University of Washington.
Email university officials and urge them to do the right thing and transfer the animals to sanctuaries.
5. Share this video from inside UW.
Share this video with friends and family on Facebook:
Thank you for your compassion for animals.
