An animal rights group on Tuesday filed a complaint with the U.S. Department of Agriculture requesting an investigation into a scientist from Sanford Research.
Stop Animal Exploitation Now’s complaint was filed by the group after it obtained a document showing that Shanta Messerli’s privileges to conduct experiments on animals had been permanently revoked.
A letter from Sanford Research to the USDA’s Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare indicates that Messerli first revoked her privileges in January 2021. After appeals to the Sanford Research Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC), its privileges were restored to two specific experiments under direct supervision.
But the letter, signed by David Pearce, the president of innovation and research for Sanford’s World Clinic, says Messerli received a subsequent report of non-compliance while conducting an experiment with Defense Department funding.
