The University of Washington prides itself on being a top-tier scientific institution, but in fact, it is anything but that when it comes to how they treat animals and the types of experiments they allow to be conducted on the animals imprisoned at the University of Washington.

The University of Washington has hundreds of primates locked inside cages in underground labs.
As of 2019 (according to the Annual Report filed with the USDA), there are 540 non-human primates (mostly macaques). There are another 513 non-human primates being held in a breeding facility in Arizona. These monkeys that are usually very social and need so much stimulation are often kept alone in their cages due to the invasive nature of the horrific experiments they are subjected to.

Internal documents obtained by NARN and insider information reveal that the center is killing thousands of monkeys in meaningless experiments, wasting taxpayer money, and violating federal animal welfare laws. No groundbreaking scientific achievements have come out of imprisoning and torturing these monkeys and it’s time to close it down.

You can use the form on this page to automatically set up the e-mail and send to each member of the Board of Regents, or if you prefer to just contact them directly, you can use the contact information and sample letter below. If you prefer to write your own, please be polite and encouraging!

Phone: 206-543-1633
E-mail: regents@uw.edu

Sample Letter:

Dear UW Board of Regents,

I am writing to ask you to help move the University of Washington forward in its research, ethics, and approach to education. As a leader helping direct the future of the University of Washington, I am hoping that you will consider closing the National Primate Research Center  

The UW is one of the few universities that still continues to experiment on non-human animals, including primates. These UW laboratories aren’t open to the public and their existence is kept hidden from view from most students, alumni and taxpayers. Breeding, capturing, exploiting, torturing, and then killing primates in the name of education and science must be talked about openly. The UW is one of the most progressive learning institutions in the world, but in this one area, it continues to work and teach in the dark.

People are told that knowledge gained from animal studies can be extrapolated to humans, yet the scientific papers reporting the results of research repeatedly include a disclaimer warning about making such an assumption. It isn't only the uselessness and wastefulness of these animal experiments that should horrify everyone who learns about them. It is the tragic and terrible ways that burgeoning scientists are taught to treat living beings – each with their own emotional, environmental, and physical needs – as if they were not sentient at all. No normal healthy human would willingly conduct these experiments except when taught to turn this part of their ethical reasoning system off. This is the time to talk about animal ethics, animal law, and pedagogy at the UW. You have the opportunity, and obligation to get the conversation started.

Thank you for your time and your willingness to start the discussion within the UW.

Sincerely,