PETA India exposes alleged animal cruelty at Telangana lab

PETA India exposed alleged animal cruelty at a Mahabubnagar laboratory, citing a whistleblower’s account of overcrowded cages, painful injections, and infections in dogs. Complaints have been filed, marking India’s first major exposé of animal testing abuses.

Hyderabad: People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India on Tuesday unveiled a whistleblower’s account alleging widespread and severe abuse of pet dogs and other animals at a private drug-testing laboratory in Mahabubnagar, Telangana. The laboratory, involved in testing drugs, pesticides, and medical devices, now faces allegations of cruelty.

PETA India representatives told media persons on Tuesday that complaints have been submitted to the Committee for the Control and Supervision of Experiments on Animals (CCSEA), the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO), and the National GLP Compliance Monitoring Authority (NGCMA).

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Citing the whistleblower, PETA alleged the facility “poisons beagles and other animals as a matter of course.” The whistleblower’s account claims animals were subjected to “overcrowded cages or, in other cases, social isolation, environments that caused animal injuries and infections, and often a painful death when the animals were deemed no longer useful.” The lab also allegedly housed approximately 1,500 dogs in a space designed for a maximum of about 800, forcing three to four dogs into cages meant for two.

PETA detailed on Tuesday how, “in some studies conducted at the laboratory, dogs were allegedly injected with test compounds under their skin, sometimes causing infections at the injection sites. These infections could spread, eating through the skin and damaging underlying tissue, leaving the dogs with open, painful wounds.”

“PETA India’s exposé of this major contract laboratory is the first of its kind in India to lift the veil of secrecy surrounding facilities where dogs, rhesus macaques, and other animals endure painful procedures,” said Dr. Anjana Aggarwal, Scientist and Research Policy Advisor at PETA India.