PETA is demanding a federal investigation after eight universities apparently went on a killing spree during the COVID-19 pandemic. This follows our prior complaints about similar killing sprees at 14 other universities. Cumulatively, at least 25,000 animals were slaughtered in these schools’ laboratories during 2020.

New evidence uncovered by PETA reveals that experimenters at these eight universities labeled some animals “nonessential,” “noncritical,” or similar terms, then apparently slaughtered them en masse in response to laboratory shutdowns due to COVID-19.

The bloodshed documented in PETA’s latest complaint occurred at the University of Georgia, the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso, and West Virginia, Pennsylvania State, Tulane, Montana State, and Ferris State universities. The animals in these facilities were slated for use in cruel and worthless experiments.

Zero Plus Zero Equals 9 Million?

If these animals were nonessential, why did the 22 universities receive more than $9 million in taxpayer funding to imprison them in their laboratories and experiment on them in the first place?

It just doesn’t add up.

That’s why PETA is urging the National Institutes of Health—the agency funneling funds into these university bloodbaths—to investigate.

Once #COVID19 shutdowns began, a killing spree of animals imprisoned in university labs took off.

If these sensitive animals are so easily considered “non-essential,” why does the government spend BILLIONS of taxpayer dollars on horrific experiments every year? pic.twitter.com/BIp41ikUiv

— PETA (@peta) August 22, 2020

Our complaint also notes that federal policies require experimenters to avoid or reduce the use of animals in experiments whenever possible. Labeling these animals as nonessential confirms that they never needed to be in those laboratories. Period.

This isn’t the first time experimenters have abused animals in their laboratories and then deemed them unnecessary. PETA previously exposed a string of universities around the country for killing “extraneous” animals and blaming it on the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Laboratories Are What’s Disposable

Experimenting on animals is always nonessential, and it almost always fails to produce safe and effective medications and treatments for humans. That’s why PETA scientists developed the Research Modernization Deal, providing a comprehensive plan to phase out all animal experimentation in favor of modern, superior, human-relevant methods.

Please take action and help get animals out of laboratories: