Animal-rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) staged a protest on Thursday, May 26 in front of a Tysons Corner-area company it says mistreats animals.
Over 100 PETA demonstrators gathered in front of Covance offices, located at the intersection of Leesburg Pike and Towlston Road. The organization had a woman who worked undercover and obtained a job working on primate research at the facility.
During her time there, PETA says, the undercover worker videotaped abuse of animals, which were primarily macaques. PETA has long opposed any animal testing. In this case, however, the group alleges that the tests were performed in an inhumane fashion.
Some of the demonstrators were Northern Virginia residents, but William Rivas-Rivas of PETA estimated that about half came from outside of the area.
Lisa Leitten, PETA’s undercover investigator applied for and got a job as a primate technician, said Mary Beth Sweetland, director of research and investigation for PETA. The group claims that the investigator was employed at Covance from April 26, 2004 to March 11, 2005. Sweetland said that t Leitten witnessed Covance staff abusing the primates physically and verbally. She further said that the animals were kept alone for long periods. "There were numerous violations of the Animal Welfare Act," Sweetland said.
PETA ALSO released a video showing technicians yelling at monkeys and performing tests on them. PETA says the tape was shot inside the Covance's Leesburg Pike facility. Sweetland said that the monkeys were treated unnecessarily harshly.
PETA’s investigator, Sweetland said, would participate in the tests, but would do so in a less aggressive fashion. "Her treatment of the animals was not only humane but compassionate," Sweetland said.
Leitten reported the situation to her supervisor at Covance, but no change in procedure was implemented, Sweetland said.
On May 17, PETA hand-delivered a complaint against Covance to the United States Department of Agriculture. Darby Holladay, a spokesperson for the department confirmed receipt of the complaint. He further noted that the facility is registered as one which performs medical tests on primates. "They are a registered research facility," he said.
"All complaints are looked into," Holladay said. He could not comment on this complaint since the investigation is open. He was unable to give a time frame for when any results may be available.
In a typical investigation, USDA investigators visit the facility and both observe the facility and check the records, Holladay said. If the investigators believe that a violation has taken place, they will forward their documents along to another group within the department which will then decide if enough evidence exists to merit a complaint.
The Animal Welfare Act would result in an administrative complaint, which Holladay said, would essentially mimic a civil lawsuit, if it were appealed.
Possible penalties include a suspension or termination of testing license and a fine of $2,750 per animal per day.
COVANCE DID not respond to a request for comment. Covance is a drug development company based in Princeton, N.J. According to its Web site, it has operations in 17 countries and annual revenues in excess of $1 billion.
The company’s Web site contains its policy on animal research. Covance's six-point policy states that it treats its animals with care and respect, will follow all applicable laws, will use alternate methods of testing when possible, will minimize animal discomfort, will take steps to make sure that its employees and processes meet its own standards and will take immediate action if it finds one of its employees has violated these standards.