PETA Spy Comes Out

There is a fascinating 5/30-5/31 Associated Press story about a recently retired PETA spy. The story is on at least 70 websites, though I am not sure if it has appeared in hard copy. On the AOL news site, you can read the story, see a photo of the gutsy activist, and vote as to whether you think her work "serves a useful purpose":
http://aolsvc.news.aol.com/news/article.adp?id=20050530175709990002&ncid=NWS00010000000001
Please vote.

The results of Lisa Leitten's most recent investigation can be seen at http://www.CovanceCruelty.com. The Associated Press article tells us:
"Leitten called her last assignment for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals her most wrenching: nine months in a Virginia lab owned by Princeton, N.J.-based biomedical firm Covance Co. There, she says, monkeys were denied medical care and abused by technicians. The company denies the claims, says it treats the animals properly and has accused Leitten of illegally working under cover....
Leitten's camera work, and the report issued by PETA, depict frightened monkeys being yanked from their cages and handled roughly by aggressive, often cursing technicians. She says she watched animals suffer with festering wounds, and that tubes were forced into their sinuses for research medicine to be administered, causing them to scream, bleed and vomit. Monkeys were housed alone in cages that were hosed down with the animals still inside, dripping and shivering, she said."

The article also discusses some of Leitten's other undercover investigations. It ends:
"For her part, Leitten says her time as a spy was spent worrying about the animals, not about being caught. She said she spent nights at home with her two dogs, weeping and writing up what she had seen during the day.

"'That's why people only last in this job a couple of years,' said Leitten, who asked that her current residence not be revealed. 'I get migraines, a lot of anxiety. But if something can change for the animals, and their lives will be better in some way, then all those sleepless nights and crying at home will be worth it.'''

Please take a look at the article and vote in the AOL poll, both linked above. AOL members can also post comments.
The following link will take you to a page that links to about 70 postings of the article, including on the Newsday (New York), Guardian (London) Washington Post and Los Angeles Times websites : http://tinyurl.com/885el

If it is on your local newspaper's website, please send a quick supportive letter to the editor. If you have any trouble finding the email address for a letter to your editor, don't hesitate to ask me for help.

Always include your full name, address, and daytime phone number when sending a letter to the editor. Shorter letters are more likely to be published.


(DawnWatch is an animal advocacy media watch that looks at animal issues in the media and facilitates one-click responses to the relevant media outlets. You can learn more about it, and sign up for alerts at http://www.DawnWatch.com. If you forward or reprint DawnWatch alerts, please do so unedited -- leave DawnWatch in the title and include this tag line.)