March 5, 2009

Dear Friend,

Last night, ABC News: Nightline broke the story of more than 300 chimpanzees languishing at one of the world's largest primate research facilities.

The report featured video footage gathered by The Humane Society of the United States during a nine-month undercover investigation at the New Iberia Research Center in Louisiana -- and showed the routine and possibly unlawful treatment of hundreds of chimpanzees and monkeys.

Each animal's suffering detailed in the report was wrenching, but the story of 26 elder chimps currently warehoused at the facility was particularly poignant.

Watch our undercover video and see for yourself.

These 26 chimps were taken from their mothers in the wild, and have since lived a life behind bars. The oldest, Karen, was captured in 1958, when Dwight D. Eisenhower was still president.

Please help end invasive research on these chimps and give them the sanctuary they deserve. Urge your U.S. Representative to support the Great Ape Protection Act.

The Great Ape Protection Act was re-introduced in the House of Representatives today, on the heels of our undercover investigation. This legislation would phase out invasive research on the more than 1,000 chimpanzees remaining in U.S. laboratories, and lay the groundwork for permanent retirement of the approximately 500 chimpanzees owned by the federal government, including Karen and other chimps at the New Iberia Research Center.

TAKE ACTION
Please make a brief phone call to your U.S. Representative. Click here to look up the office phone number. When you call, you'll likely speak to a staff member who can take your message. Remember to be polite and professional, and leave your name and where you live so it's clear that you are a constituent. When you call, you can say:

"Hello, my name is [your name]. I'm a constituent in [your town]. Last night, ABC News: Nightline aired a report of chimpanzees at the New Iberia Research Center in Louisiana. I'm calling to ask [Representative's name] to please co-sponsor the Towns-Reichert Great Ape Protection Act, to stop this cruelty and to save taxpayers millions of dollars. Thank you."

We expect that Congress will receive a huge outpour of calls on this issue. If you aren't able to get through, please keep trying. After you make your call, send a follow up message and tell your friends and family how they can help, too.

Thank you for speaking out for chimps held in research. They deserve better than a life of torment and misery. Together, we can make a difference for these amazing creatures.

Sincerely,

Wayne Pacelle
President & CEO
The Humane Society of the United States