Because “Madtown” is home to the notorious Wisconsin National Primate Research Center at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, PETA is running this ad on local airwaves that asks viewers to consider the deathly high stakes for animals suffering in laboratories. In the 15-second spot, a “customer” wants to know how much a prescription will cost—and a computer-generated monkey, tattooed with an ID number and wheezing through a breathing tube, has the answer: “Too much.”

“Monkeys are caged, mutilated, tormented, and killed in laboratories for pointless experiments that don’t benefit human health,” says PETA Senior Vice President Kathy Guillermo. “PETA is rallying viewers to stand up against these horrors and join us in calling on UW-Madison to pivot to sophisticated, human-relevant research methods.”

Even though studies show that 90% of all basic research—most of which involves animals—fails to lead to treatments for humans, UW-Madison’s primate center still imprisons and torments more than 2,400 monkeys for experiments. A six-month PETA undercover investigation revealed that monkeys were held in barren cages and bleak windowless rooms and were so traumatized by extreme long-term confinement that they ceaselessly circled their tiny cages and pulled out their own hair.

PETA’s ad will run on local FOX affiliate WMSN during the 9 p.m. news a dozen times through December 4. PETA is also airing the ad on stations in San Antonio, Texas, where the Southwest National Primate Research Center is located.

Numerous advertisers in several cities, including Indianapolis; Reno, Nevada; and San Diego, refused to run the spot, deeming it “too graphic,” even though it doesn’t feature real animals, gore, or blood.

PETA’s motto reads, “Animals are not ours to experiment on, eat, wear, use for entertainment, or abuse in any other way.” For more information, please visit PETA.org, listen to The PETA Podcast, or follow the group on X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, or Instagram.