Researching mice

I will have to follow this story to see what becomes of this story. Apparently, three mice infected with plague are missing.

It sounds like a real mistake, but it brings back the memories of when animal rooms on the University campus were broken into, vandalized, and "liberated" research mice. This happened back in 1993, and the incident has not been repeated on this campus. Animal Liberation Front (ALF) took credit for the incident, proud of the fact that mice used for horrible research experiments were set free. What they didn't either know, or didn't care, but the mice that were liberated had been infected with giradia and other third world gastrointestional infections. Needless to say, I don't think the mice lasted very long after their liberation.

Since we're on a university campus, the risk of activist students is always there. April is traditionally the animal research awareness month, and we all go into "awareness" mode. The third week of April is traditionally when a vigil is being held on the medical center grounds. Last year, the protest got a mention in the campus newspaper with the mention that 15 people showed up. This year, there was confusion because of the calander what week would be the awareness week, so I was never informed that there was even a protest at the medical center this year.

Unless something unexpected happens, it looks like the animal rights movement is dying out here.