Research Breeding Facility Chased Out of Puerto Rican Town

by Stephanie Feldstein · 2010-01-12 17:00:00 UTC
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Thousands of monkeys were going to be captured and shipped to a massive facility, where they would be bred for laboratories around the world, but a Superior Court judge in Puerto Rico put an end to it.

Bioculture Ltd, a Mauritius-based company, made the mistake of trying to cut corners to get a permit for their new facility in the town of Guayama; the citizens of Puerto Rico weren't going to stand by and allow their country continue to be used as a literal breeding ground for animal testing.

A combination of Senate Environmental Committee reports, accusing the company of intentionally supplying misinformation during the process, and complaints from residents that the company didn't hold public hearings and submit complete environmental impact statements, led to the judge's ruling that construction on the facility must be stopped.

This victory might be based on a technicality instead of morality, but that doesn't matter to the monkeys who won't be bred and sold for research. However the courts justify it, the ruling is a victory for animals and the environment -- there's already a problem on the island with monkeys that have escaped from other research facilities. It's also a testament to the refusal of the Puerto Rican people to let corporations take advantage of their legal system and to the growing intolerance toward inhumane animal experimentation.

Photo credit: jonrawlinson

Stephanie Feldstein is a Change.org Editor who has been part of the animal welfare and rescue community for over a decade, and most recently worked for an environmental organization.
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