FOILed Again

Back in January 2009, I submitted a Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) request to Lehman College regarding the placement of its Rhesus Macaques. I asked:
 

1.  Number of species of animals sent to the pseudo-facility;

2.  Date(s) animals were transported;
3.  $$ amount accompanying the animals for supposed life-long retirement care;
4.  Process used in the selection of the retirement facility for the animals.

This week I finally received a response. Six Rhesus Macaques were moved from NY to the pseudo-sanctuary on/about April 20, 2008. The pseudo-sanctuary charged $2,500 per monkey ($15,000) for life long care and $3,960 in transportation costs for a total of $18,960.

It is hard to imagine any business manager from Lehman could possibly believe the pseudo-sanctuary could provide a "new enclosure," "quality species diet," and "vet care" for these six transplanted primates for $15,000. And life long care to boot!
 

But oh--the pseudo-sanctuary has good intentions!! They want to care for retired laboratory animals that served humanity in laboratory research--we should judge the pseudo-sanctuary not on their results, but on their good intentions, right?
 

Remember folks, the road to Hell is built on good intentions.
 

So, how are the primates doing today? Last tour reported only three out of six primates living in the enclosure; two which had serious bite and scratch wounds.

Apparently the primates are fighting because two primates were missing a lot of fur on their backs. The third primate appeared to be okay, but she refrained from coming up to the front. Two separate tours took pictures of the primates (one week apart) and both times, two females were photographed huddling up in the front right side of the enclosure. It is unknown what happened to the other three primates as the tour guide only spoke about the three. Primate species specific "dog food" can be found on the ground and to the left of the primates. Nice, real nice.
 

Lehman College also reported three primates (Sebastian, Prudence, and Bugs) were transported to the pseudo-sanctuary in August/September 2007 for $7,500 ($2,500 each). How are these primates doing today? Well, it is my understanding Sebastian and Prudence died about a year later and it unknown whether or not Bugs is still alive.
 

As to my final question, #4, Lehman College denied access to documentation reflecting the process of selecting the pseudo-sanctuary as the primates' final retirement home. The college claimed their Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee oversees and evaluates all aspects of the institution's animal case and use program. Apparently, documents concerning the process of selecting the pseudo-sanctuary are not subject to FOIL because IACUC does not perform a government function for the State of NY, but rather obtains its functions from federal law and regulation (Matter of ASPCA v. Board of Trustees, 184AD 2d 508, NYS 2d 198 (2d Dep't 1992).
 

The College could have provided the material, but chose not to release the documents, probably due to incriminating information contained in the files. I believe I was FOILed by Lehman College.