f the animals used in research are abused. For example, one animal rights groups, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), which wants to eliminate all animal research and whose campaign against the use of animals in research for household products and cosmetics brought the animal rights issue much support with the general public, conducted an undercover investigation of Wright State University's animal research program. They found widespread abuses, such as a rabbit with ears ravaged by scabies mites and a dog, also infested with the parasites, appeared to have scratched itself bloody. In addition, many dogs were found to be suffering from multiple ailments that were left untreated and that rabbits and pigs were clubbed to death and eaten by researchers. They used photographs of these abuses in their advertising campaigns against the university's animal research program, putting them on local billboards and giving them to newspapers. Furthermore, some photographs were sent to federal investigators, leading to a series of charges against the university (Burd, 1993, p. A27).
The government's response to the charges surprised many researchers, delighted many animal activists, and worried many scientists. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) conducted its own investigation and found 18 violations of the Animal Welfare Act in its care and use of research animals. The department accused the university of using expired drugs to euthanize animals, neglecting to provide adequate veterinary care or euthanize animals that were in obvious pain, and failing to inspect its own research facilities adequately (Burd, 1993, p. A38).
Animal activists hoped that the Wright State case marked a shift in government attitudes toward PETA. They noted that
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