It’s in the House Committee on Energy and Commerce now, the Great Ape Protection Act, H.R. 1326, which calls for the end of invasive biomedical research and testing on chimpanzees.
U.S. Representatives Edolphus Towns (D-NY), David Reichert (R-WA), James Langevin (D-RI), and Roscoe Bartlett (R-MD) originally introduced the bill during April 2008 and it was reintroduced in March of this year.

Project R&R is spearheaded by the New England Anti-Vivisection Society out of Boston. The following information is from the NEAV Web site:
“New England Anti-Vivisection Society (NEAVS) is a national animal advocacy organization founded in 1895. NEAVS’ mission is to end the cruelty and waste of animal experiments and replace them with modern alternatives that are ethically, humanely, and scientifically superior.
NEAVS advocates for the protection of animals through public outreach efforts and publications, through education programs designed to promote greater compassion and respect for life, and through the support of legislative initiatives and litigation intended for the protection of animals.”

Anyone who has seen a National Geographic special in the last 25 years would know who Dame Jane Goodall is, the woman who spent so much time in Tanzania researching wild chimps (www.janegoodall.org).

Or how about Koko, the lowland gorilla who was studied by Penny Patterson? She taught Koko American Sign Language. Koko was also famous because she had kitties as favorite friends (koko.org/world).

This research should show us that apes are, at the very least, sentient beings and not the stereotypical tree-swinging, banana-eating, wild beasts.

I’m not saying apes should be treated as people. The recent incident in Connecticutt where a “pet” chimpanzee turned on a woman, criticially injuring her, should be enough to convince anyone they do not belong in a household treated as a surrogate child.

But they don’t deserve being kept in cages for medical research, either. Find out more at releasechimps.org.

On another note, what can be said about the recent bust of the interstate dog fighting ring that hasn’t already been said or will be said by millions of animal lovers. The horrors and evil of it all —- pure evil. Anyone with a heart and soul can only shake their head and wonder what drives human beings to do such despicable things.

I will say kudos to the authorities for their investigation and apprehension of the beasts, and I don’t mean the dogs. If you can, get some old blankets and supplies to the Missouri Humane Society. The agency will sorely need them. As I’ve said before, usually I like to keep donations of any kind local, but this is not only Missouri’s problem. Dogs were seized in Illinois, too.

One of the positive sides to all this is that, 100 years ago, dog fighting, like cockfighting, would probably have been an accepted pastime. Now this activity will get people indicted on a federal felony.

Maybe we are learning, as a so-called higher species, to be more civil and compassionate.

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