Campus Connection: USDA returns but finds no issues with UW animal research

Eric Sandgren, who oversees animal research on the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus as director of the Research Animal Resources Center, sent me the results of last week's follow-up visit from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

And it appears this report is nothing but good news for the university.  It states the animal welfare arm of the USDA found no problems at UW-Madison after evaluating progress on previously reported non-compliant items.

A 10-page USDA report delivered to UW-Madison officials in late December noted 20 animal welfare violations. The USDA previously cited UW-Madison for three violations earlier in 2009 involving monkeys.

Those findings plus reports of the National Institutes of Health's animal welfare agency visiting campus led to plenty of negative publicity for those associated with animal research on the UW-Madison campus.

Some view these violations as outrageous atrocities against helpless animals. Others contend it's mostly much ado about nothing.