Feds Slam University of Washington for Flagrant Violations, Including Near-Fatal Radiation of a Monkey: PETA Statement

For Immediate Release:
November 22, 2024

Contact:
Tasgola Bruner 202-483-7382

Please see the following statement from PETA primate scientist Dr. Lisa Jones-Engel regarding egregious violations of the Animal Welfare Act by the University of Washington, as documented by a just-released U.S. Department of Agriculture inspection report. In just a few months, a UW professor deliberately subjected a monkey to near-lethal radiation, while another experimenter repeatedly violated their protocol by denying monkeys proper pain relief after invasive surgeries. Gross negligence and incompetence in facility maintenance left 20 monkeys trapped in cages under blinding 24/7 lights for nine consecutive days. In another incident, inadequate oversight allowed two monkeys to escape their cages, leading to fights that left other trapped animals severely injured:

There apparently is no limit to the depths of callousness or incompetence that faculty, staff, and employees of the University of Washington will sink to at its primate center. These atrocious acts are yet more proof that animal welfare is close to nonexistent at this institution, and accountability is long overdue. Enough is enough. Instead of hiding behind excuses and sweeping these atrocities under the rug, the university must finally take meaningful action. A first step: immediately and permanently banning experimenter Fritzie Arce-McShane from contact with animals again. No more delays. No more cover-ups. 

Arce-McShane knowingly blasted a monkey with radiation far beyond approved protocol and any shred of human decency. For a week, she watched while the animal’s face reddened, he developed discharge from his eyes and nose, his skin flaked and he was unable to fully open his mouth. All the while, she failed to inform the veterinarians that she had been repeatedly overdosing the monkey. When she eventually disclosed this, it was too late—veterinary care could not save the animal, and he was euthanized to prevent further suffering.   This is not just a violation of ethics—it’s a blatant breach of state and municipal animal cruelty laws. Yet, the university police have done nothing, and Arce-McShane is presumably awaiting the green light to restart her radiation experiments. The University of Washington must stop shirking its responsibility and take decisive action to hold Arce-McShane accountable. 

PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to experiment on”—points out that Every Animal Is Someone and offers free Empathy Kits for people who need a lesson in kindness. For more information, please visit PETA.org or follow the group on X, Facebook, or Instagram.