Purdue facing complaint for animal welfare violations

A research watchdog is urging fines against Purdue for three animal welfare violations discovered in a June inspection, an analyst for the organization said.

A copy of the inspection report was obtained from the USDA by the watchdog organization SAEN, and the report gives 410 S. University St. as the address of the inspection.

The inspection cited two critical violations for facility conditions in its report. One stemmed from the alleged euthanization of a sheep that had been placed in an enclosure with floors the report deemed to be slick, and the other from the alleged escape of five house sparrows from the facility between April 16 and May 30 without recapture.

Both facility violations were corrected the day of the inspection, the report said.

The third violation was for watering conditions, wherein a water receptacle for horses allegedly had chunks of algae floating in it and larvae swimming in the water.

SAEN research analyst Stacey Ellison wrote to a deputy administrator of the USDA Wednesday, requesting maximum fines against Purdue of $12,722 per animal, per infraction.

"I must insist that you initiate an immediate investigation," Ellison wrote. "And take the most severe action allowable against Purdue University under the Animal Welfare Act."