The San Francisco Board of Supervisors on Monday passed an amended resolution calling for the humane treatment of the squirrel monkeys being used in a UCSF study on hearing loss. An earlier version of the resolution asked UCSF to terminate the experiment. Although we are respectful of the jurisdiction and powers entrusted to the Board of Supervisors by the City and County of San Francisco, we do not feel the Board should take action on individual medical research experiments.
Researchers also adhere to strict federal government guidelines for animal research.
With a vote of 10 to 1, Mark Leno dissenting, the full Board of Supervisors formally encouraged UCSF to continue working under these established guidelines. The resolution passed Monday was amended last week by Supervisor Leslie Katz from an earlier version drafted by committee chair Michael Yaki that called for UCSF to terminate the squirrel monkey experiment. On Nov. 17, after listening to about 20 UCSF faculty, post-docs, staff and patients speak on the importance of animal research and to animal rights activists on their opposition to the use of animals in research, the Board's Economic Development, Transportation and Technology Committee passed the amended resolution, which removed the request to terminate the hearing loss experiment, two to one. All rights reserved. Please direct all comments and questions to the Daybreak Editor .