The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals nonprofit filed a complaint with the U.S. Department of Agriculture on Tuesday over allegations of a hostile work environment at the University of Washinton’s National Primate Research Center.
PETA alleges that the center’s “toxic and fearful culture” is treading over animal welfare laws. Based on a whistleblower’s report, PETA alleges that staffers did not “disclose a monkey suffered a seizure, lost control of the left side of her body, and endured tremors for weeks” after a failed brain surgery.
A second surgery was allegedly performed on the monkey at the behest of the university’s Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee, according to PETA. The monkey reportedly died from a hemorrhagic brain clot, the nonprofit alleges further.
PETA reports that it informed the USDA in June about internal documents showing hundreds of worker safety incidents at the primate facility between 2021 and 2023.
UW’s National Primate Center is currently under investigation by the Washington State Department of Health for the alleged death of a monkey during another failed procedure.