Although ARFF believe all animals have the right to not be exploited as experimental subjects, we have made reasonable requests that would benefit animals in Scripps’ labs.

—An End to Research on Chimpanzees.
AFFF is urging The Scripps Research Institute to commit not to conduct or participate in research that involves the use of chimpanzees or other great apes, in Florida or elsewhere. Click here to learn more about Scripps' use of chimpanzees. Opposition to the use of great apes in invasive research is widespread, even in the scientific community. The United States is one of the few remaining countries in the world where chimpanzees are used in biomedical research.

—A Voice for Animals on Institutional Animal Committee.
ARFF has requested that an animal welfare advocate be added to Scripps Florida’s Institutional Animal Care & Use Committee (IACUC). The federal Animal Welfare Act requires that facilities establish an IACUC to “provide representation for general community interests in the proper care and treatment of animals.” The committee’s role is to assess the research facility and to critically evaluate research protocols. The Act stipulates that at least one member of the committee must be unaffiliated with the research facility.

Please send polite letters to Scripps President Richard Lerner and request that Scripps address the above issues.

Contact:
Richard Lerner, M.D., President
The Scripps Research Institute
10550 North Torrey Pines Road
La Jolla, California 92037
E-mail: rlerner@scripps.edu.

You can also send a note to Dr. Lerner through Scripps' website: www.scripps.edu/contact.

—Public Accountability.
Considering the significant financial support of Scripps by Florida taxpayers (over $500 million in public money!), and in light of Scripps’ 2004 USDA citation for mistreatment of animals, Scripps has an obligation to be open about their use of animals in Florida. ARFF has asked Palm Beach County to require that Scripps produce publicly available annual reports which include the following information about animal research conducted in Florida:
• The number and species of animals used;
• How animals are procured for use in experiments;
• How Scripps scientists justify the use of animals, and why
non-animal alternatives were rejected.

Please contact the Palm Beach County Board of County Commissioners and urge them to require Scripps to provide the above information. (Palm Beach County residents: please contact your commissioner; click here to find out what district you live in.)

Contact:
Tony Masilotti, Chairman
Board of County Commissioners
Palm Beach County
301 N. Olive Avenue
West Palm Beach, Florida 33401
E-mail: tmasilot@co.palm-beach.fl.us