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http://www.rgj.com/article/20100107/NEWS/1070330/1321

Research firm pays $4,500 for Reno monkey death

By Steve Timko

An animal testing company has paid a $4,500 fine for killing a primate
by leaving it in a cage before sending it through a cage cleaner last
April in Reno, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said Wednesday.

The amount for the macaque death killed at the Charles River
Laboratories facility on Longley Lane facility is about half the
$10,000 it paid the USDA after a May 28, 2008, incident in which
severe heat led to the deaths of 32 primates in the company's lab on
Dunn Circle in Sparks.

Dave Sacks, spokesman for the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection
Service, said no information was available on how the USDA determined
the fine amount.

Amy Cianciaruso, associate director of public relations for Charles
River, acknowledged Tuesday the laboratory had been fined for the
incident last year but said she did not know the amount.

The incident was documented in a June inspection of the facility by
the USDA and brought to light Tuesday by the animal advocacy group
Stop Animal Exploitation Now!

The group charged commercial cage washers "sterilize the enclosures,
meaning that this primate was literally boiled alive."

Cianciaruso acknowledged the macque died as a result of being put
through the cage washer, but the specific cause of death was not
determined.

"This unfortunate incident was the result of human error," Charles
River said in a statement. "We have enhanced our quality control
processes at the Reno facility and have implemented these best
practices at all of our sites globally. We expect these actions will
preclude the recurrence of a similar event."

The USDA report said Charles River workers twice signed off that there
were no animals in the cage. They were supposed to check before a
pre-cleaning and before putting the cage into the washer, the USDA
report said.

"Since an animal died, the training was not of sufficient frequency to
remind the people to thoroughly look for animals before having the
cages washed," the report said. "This is important for the health and
safety of all the animals."

The company said several human errors led to the animal's death. As a
result of the laboratory's investigation, five additional preventive
measures were added to the standard operating procedures to enhance
communication among workers during the cage changeover. Cameras in the
dirty cage staging area were added and practices were updated at all
Charles River sites, the company said.

"Providing humane and high quality care is a priority for Charles
River," the company statement said. "Our work is an essential
component of the research that has led to new discoveries and has
played a vital role in countless medical advances for humans as well
as animals."