Coalition Against Fur Farms has learned that a mink vaccine and research facility in Nebraska is still in operation, is still providing support to the fur industry, and is still doing research on live mink.
This location was listed in The Blueprint fur farm list, however its operational status was in question. Included in that entry was an anonymous report received from someone who had visited the facility. The report stated there were no mink sheds visible on the outside of the property, but that it was still possible there were experiments being done on mink indoors.
The USDA paper trail went cold in 1999, and until recently, there were no USDA reports available for the facility. Recently, two new reports were obtained by the group Stop Animal Exploitation Now that show there is still mink research being performed on site (see scan of USDA report below). They show that 405 mink were held at the facility in 2008, and 158 in 2009.
Even more info on this facility: On page 2 of the Spring 2012 issue of The Fur Farm Letter, there is an article about mink vaccine production at Merck, in which it is confirmed they continue to do vaccine research on live mink
“This is primarily due to the need to use live animals (mink) in the final test studies. Merck only has one source for their test animals….”
Formerly a Pfizer facility, it appears to have been bought out be another big pharma giant: Merck. Here is the updated info, as published on www.finalnial.com:
Merck Animal Health
Elkhorn Biotechnology Excellence Center
21401 W. Center Road
Elkhorn, NE 68022
Web: www.merck-animal-health-usa.com
Contact: Richard R. DeLuca Jr., President
Notes: Supplies vaccines to fur farmers in North America; research and
production facility.
