LSU self-reported to the National Institute of Health that its researchers violated animal welfare guidelines 11 times between 2018 and 2021. An animal rights group said the university failed to meet standard levels of care, according to the Advocate.
Violations reported by LSU’s Institutional Care and Use Committee to the NIH included allowing several cats and parrots to go without food over a weekend, withholding pain medication from mice and conducting unauthorized tests on several goats and a dog.
In a letter to LSU, the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals called for President Tate to “boot the violators from all animal laboratories permanently and shut down its animal experimentation program.” PETA wrote that some of the violations indicate staff incompetence.
Documents provided to the Advocate show that laboratory personnel were instructed to re-read animal use guidelines before beginning experiments, retake training on humane euthanasia and hold weekly meetings and discussions over ongoing experiments to prevent future violations.
LSU spokesman Ernie Ballard told the Advocate that the university addressed the problems as it learned of them, and that LSU abides by all federal animal care and use regulations.
Actions taken by the university in light of the guideline violations satisfied the requirements of the NIH Office of Laboratory and Animal Welfare standards, according to the Advocate.