Federal Animal Welfare Violations in the Laboratories of the University of Washington

Government documents obtained by PETA show that the University of Washington and the affiliated Washington National Primate Research Center have routinely failed to comply with minimal animal welfare regulations and guidelines in their laboratories—where vulnerable animals have endured almost unimaginable pain and misery.

January 12, 2026 (one critical): At UW’s Arizona monkey-breeding facility, staff observed a limp newborn monkey in the arms of a female monkey. They presumed the baby was dead and placed the infant in a biohazard bag and then into a cooler. Approximately an hour later, the baby monkey was taken out of the cooler and was found to still be alive. The monkey was then euthanized.

July 8, 2025 (five violations, one critical and one repeat): Multiple protocols subjected monkeys to more experimental procedures or higher doses than approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC). The Attending Veterinarian (AV) disagreed with an IACUC decision related to the death of a geriatric monkey trucked across the country, and the facility must ensure the AV has the appropriate authority. There was an equipment failure during a brain injection surgery on a primate, which led to the primate having a seizure and losing function in the left side of their body. This was not reported to officials, who then approved a second brain surgery, where the primate didn’t recover and was killed. Three rooms had chipping paint, which makes sanitizing difficult, directly above primate cages. Chemicals that could contaminate food were found on the counter in the primate food prep area.

June 12, 2025 (one violation): Primate cages were not kept in good repair, including an exposed rusted panel in a cage confining 10 primates that could cause injury and cannot be properly sanitized. Pulley system doors inside the primate cages had moderate damage with rough surfaces that cannot be properly sanitized.

October 8, 2024 (three violations, two critical): An adult male macaque underwent more imaging sessions than allowed in the approved protocol, causing significant radiation toxicity. Four other macaques did not receive pain medication following multiple lymph node biopsies, while a fifth macaque did not receive appropriate pain medication after undergoing a cerebrospinal fluid tap. Additionally, two adult rhesus macaques escaped their enclosure through an improperly secured side panel and fought with other animals. A total of four animals sustained injuries; three required sedation for wound repair. Twenty adult macaques were kept in constant lighting for nine days.

September 12, 2023 (four violations, one critical): An adult male rhesus macaque died while under anesthesia. He had significant barotrauma because of significant pressure build-up in his lungs due to the anesthesia machine not being properly checked before use. Another male rhesus macaque sustained a brain tissue injury after a trainee incorrectly placed a recording device. The monkey exhibited noticeable neurological impairment within minutes. A third rhesus macaque did not receive his daily ration of water while on a study, and a male pigtail macaque underwent a surgical procedure that had not been approved. Additionally, six of 18 ground squirrels who underwent a procedure to have a sensor implanted developed complications after the surgery. The suture and surgical glue had not been approved. Sixteen rabbits were used in a combination of procedures that were not approved in the experimenter’s protocol.

March 21, 2023 (one violation): The temperature of a room confining seven adult pig-tailed macaques at UW’s Arizona monkey-breeding facility exceeded 85 degrees Fahrenheit five times in a five-day span, lasting from 4 to 9.5 consecutive hours.

August 12, 2021 (two violations): Temperatures in a room confining pig-tailed macaques at UW’s Arizona monkey-breeding site exceeded 85 degrees Fahrenheit for up to seven hours at a time on three separate occasions in a two-week span. Additionally, significant amounts of rodent feces were found in the ceiling light coverings of every primate enclosure in a building confining 226 pig-tailed macaques.

January 26, 2021 (three violations, two critical): Seven primates were injured after an adult male pig-tailed macaque broke the locks on his cage, and he and his cage mate escaped. The adult male sustained facial lacerations while the other primates had injuries to their fingers and hands. An adult female pig-tailed macaque was left in a temporary cage for at least 12 hours without access to food or water. Additionally, staff failed to check on 11 rabbits over a weekend, although they were supposed to be observed daily.

December 1, 2020 (critical violation): A one-year-old pig-tailed macaque removed a feeder that was not properly locked into place by staff, and the monkey escaped through the opening. She climbed onto another enclosure and a male monkey pulled her arm through the mesh. As a result, she sustained multiple injuries and her left arm was amputated.

June 4, 2019 (two violations, one critical): A monkey underwent surgery and died. The monkey had not been fasted as required the day before, and went into respiratory arrest following the surgery. During CPR, the monkey vomited and aspirated. Another monkey who was used in a painful procedure was given an opioid pain medication that had been diluted. The drug cabinet was found open and unattended; it appeared that someone in the primate center had been diverting the opioid.

November 15, 2018 (critical violation): A pig-tailed macaque suffocated to death after becoming entangled in a chain in their cage.

April 4, 2017 (two critical violations): A monkey died while under anesthesia for an MRI, and no records were maintained during the procedure. Veterinary staff also noticed that the anesthetic records for the previous year were incomplete. Additionally, the volume of blood collected from four monkeys exceeded the amount approved for collection. Staff drew blood and sedated an animal who  was anemic displayed clinical signs, including abnormal breathing. Staff collected more blood from another monkey than was approved in the protocol.

January 25, 2017 (two violations, one critical): An eight-year-old pig-tailed macaque was found to be lethargic, and a veterinarian determined that the animal was severely dehydrated due to the water line to the cage not being connected. The monkey died during treatment. Additionally, the cages confining six monkeys, including the one who died of dehydration, had not been changed or sanitized for 17 days.

July 14, 2015 (two violations): An experimenter took two tissue biopsies from the wings of 176 wild bats without approval. For multiple other experiments, protocols contained incomplete descriptions of what experimenters were forcing animals to undergo. Three animals used in one of these experiments had significant health issues following the surgical procedures and were euthanized.

August 1, 2014 (critical violation): A mother and infant pig-tailed macaque were introduced to the breeding group. The infant was attacked by a male monkey, sustained extensive trauma, and was euthanized. In a different breeding colony, an infant pig-tailed macaque was attacked by a male monkey and died because of the injuries sustained. In a third incident, an infant pig-tailed macaque was attacked by a male monkey through the mesh and was euthanized.

February 28, 2014 (four violations, two critical): A guinea pig was discovered dead in their enclosure after having undergone a major surgery. A staff member failed to give pain medication to 30 rabbits after they had surgery. The same staff member also gave a rabbit an additional dose of pain medication during surgery that was not approved, and the rabbit died. Another rabbit was found with a fractured pelvis after being handled the day before for restraint training. The injury resulted in paralysis, and the rabbit had to be euthanized. Additionally, a research assistant placed a sedated monkey on his side on a cart, turned her back, and walked across the hallway to open a door. The monkey was semi-conscious and could have fallen to the floor. Thirteen macaques had collars with dangling chain links attached to them that could catch on something in their cages and cause serious injury.