The Good, the Bad, and...

First some good news, then the bad, and then I'll end with some more good news.

Although I was going to write about greyhound- and horse racing and why I’m opposed to them, several news items popped up today which all relate to one of the basic premises of my Substack, namely the integral autonomy of each sentient being. I believe that it’s wrong to use, exploit, dominate, or otherwise abuse a non-human animal. Plus, there is a personal connection with each of these three topics, that’s why I want to share them.

A chimpanzee in the Alamogordo Primate Facility in 2021. Photo: Animal Protection New Mexico

First, I received an email from Animal Protection New Mexico (APNM) letting me know that  a Maryland federal judge made a decision in the case of  the thirty federally owned chimpanzees formerly used for research and still held at the Alamogordo Primate Facility in New Mexico which is supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Judge Lydia Kay Griggsby ruled that NIH cannot lawfully refuse to retire the remaining chimps to Chimp Haven, a 200-acres sanctuary in Louisiana. 

Here is some background: the Alamogordo Primate Facility (APF) has a gruesome history.¹ In the 1950s it was maintained by the United States Air Force which used about 65 young and infant chimpanzees to do research for space flight. Many of the animals were mutilated and killed by these tests and experiments. When the Air Force stopped using the chimpanzees, they leased them out for biomedical research, and they ended up at the Coulston Foundation, founded by toxicologist Frederick Coulston, a man known for his deplorable animal welfare record. With over 650 chimpanzees and hundreds of monkeys in the 1990s, it grew to be the largest animal research center in the world. Due to animal neglect,  poor veterinary care, and countless violations of the Animal Welfare Act (AWA), this infamous facility was shut down and went bankrupt in 2002. 

Carole Noon, PhD, the founder of Save the Chimps (a chimpanzee sanctuary in Florida) was able to rescue the first 21 and then  another 266 chimpanzees and move them to new island homes in sunny Florida. This process started in 2001 and lasted nine years! While  the chimpanzees  had to wait for the construction of their new home and transportation, Save the Chimps took control of the former Coulston facilities and greatly improved the living conditions of the animals. By the end of 2011, they were all successfully relocated.

Amber at Save the Chimps Sanctuary.  Photo: Save the Chimps 

Unfortunately, in 2001, NIH awarded a ten-year, $42.8 million contract for the care and maintenance of the APF chimpanzees to Charles River Laboratories Inc. (CRL) – the world’s largest animal breeder, importer, and private supplier of animal “models” for research. While in CRL’s charge, 62 chimpanzees died at APF.

In 2010 NIH planned to send the nearly 200 chimpanzees remaining at APF to Southwest National Primate Research Center (SNPRC) in Texas and make them available for research. This created a public outcry – private citizens, celebrities, legislators including then-New Mexico governor Bill Richardson, and animal rights organizations such as Animal Protection New Mexico protested loudly, with the result that NIH suspended the chimpanzees’ transfer to the Texas facility. Most of the animals were able to retire to Chimp Haven over the years, except for the 34 animals  who NIH would not allow to leave. The Institute claimed that the age and health of the remaining animals would make their transfer too dangerous. APNM strongly disagreed, and their consistent advocacy has led to the current ruling: 

“... that NIH’s decision was unlawful under the Chimpanzee Health, Improvement, Maintenance and Protection (CHIMP) Act, a 2000 law that created and funded the federal chimpanzee sanctuary system.”²

Let’s hope they can travel soon and roam freely!

I met the people from Animal Protection New Mexico some ten years ago, when they attempted to make coyote killing contests illegal. I had read about these brutal, gruesome events, often organized by gun shops. They’re being advertised as good, clean, family-friendly games, and I’ve seen pictures of a 6-year-old girl with a rifle in her arms, sitting proudly next to a dead coyote. The goal of such gatherings is for the so-called hunters to shoot as many coyotes as they can, and the winner gets a prize. 

At a protest demonstration in Albuquerque, NM

I became aware of APNM  in 2013, when they supported the introduction of a bill that would ban such contests, but it was struck down, despite vocal demonstrations and protests. It took until 2019 when organizing, sponsoring or participating in coyote-killing contests in the state was finally forbidden. 

All members of APNM are vegan. One would think that this is obvious for animal protectors, but I have met too many people who happily eat chickens while rescuing dogs not to be impressed by APNM’s dedication. 

Photo: Joerg Carstensen/DPA via AP Photo, File

And now to the bad news; you probably read about it: A gigantic aquarium that is installed at a Radisson hotel in Berlin has burst. Called the AquaDom, it was 50 feet high and held 264,000 gallons of water which filled the lobby and spilled out into the street. It contained 1,500 tropical fishes, who almost all died. What a senseless tragedy.

I just got back from a week-long visit with my daughter who lives near Boston/MA. We went to see the New England Aquarium because I was curious about their octopus – ever since reading Sy Montgomery's The Soul of An Octopus, I’ve been totally fascinated by these creatures. 

Photo: Zoë Rath

What was I thinking! Yes, I did see the poor animal. He was all squished into a corner, as if he tried to disappear. And he was asleep, or bored. Or he didn’t care. There was no way to experience this being through the thick glass, nor could one connect with any of the other inhabitants of the tanks. It was similar to watching a live cam, except with a live cam the inhabitants of the ocean for example swim freely, not in circles. They can move anywhere they want. 

Non-human animals don’t exist solely for human use. They shouldn’t be used for our entertainment, shouldn’t be removed from their natural habitat and be imprisoned in cages or glass tanks. They don’t belong in hotels! Okay, enough of the rant…

Juna. Photo: Yana Calou

And now for the other good news. New York Bans Pet Stores From Selling Dogs, Cats and Rabbits! Hopefully, this will reduce commercial breeders and puppy mills. Shelters are bursting with abandoned and neglected animals who desperately seek a home and loving care. Juna above was adopted from the Espanola Humane Society, a shelter trying very hard to save all the dogs and cats and bunnies that end up at their facility. Who needs breeders!

1. History of APF

2. A Major Victory for the Alamogordo Chimps!