What happens when it turns out that your campus houses a torture chamber for animals? This month’s Star Activist is quickly gaining a fan club here at PETA for his group’s efforts to shed light on what goes on behind the scenes at the University of Connecticut (UConn).
UConn student Justin Goodman was appalled to find out that his tuition dollars were being spent on invasive experiments in which rhesus monkeys had holes drilled into their skulls, electrodes implanted into their brains, and small metal springs implanted into their eyes and were deprived of food and water for days at a time. Inspectors from the U.S. Department of Agriculture have cited more than 50 violations of the federal Animal Welfare Act inside the university’s labs, including improper care, inadequate veterinary attention, and the inhumane deaths of numerous animals.
To raise awareness about these horrific experiments, Justin and the UConn Animal Rights Collective gathered more than 4,000 petition signatures from students who oppose primate experiments. They also organized a national call-in day, a letter-writing campaign, and numerous protests, including one at the university’s 125th anniversary celebration event, at which Justin chained himself to an iron fence.
What You Can Do
Raise awareness about the unnecessary suffering of animals who are used in animal testing by spending a couple of hours leafleting (which will earn you 250 points) or by setting up a table outside the science building on your campus (for 500 points). Be sure to ask everyone to sign the petition below. Send us a copy of the petition, and we’ll reward you with 50 points for each e-mail address.
Want to be our next Star Activist? Sign up for the Street Team now, and tell us what you’ve done to help animals in your community.
