Vanderbilt University has a long history of animal cruelty. Frequently using animal testing in their research, the University has run tests on dogs, rabbits, monkeys, and a variety of other animals, often disregarding ethical principles. According to Peta, "In 2020 alone—a year in which the university received more than $377 million from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), about half of which was directed toward funding or performing cruel and deadly experiments on animals".

In Wilson Hall alone, over 60 monkeys are held prisoner in the basement, being subjected to continually cruel testing practices. In 2008, the University was fined for putting a baby monkey in a washing machine for "experimental purposes" which killed the animal. Although this cruelty is claimed to no longer happen at the University, Vanderbilt continues to have a large animal population for testing.

The University must take responsibility and relocate the monkeys used for their testing program to a wildlife refuge, hopefully giving some of these animals a more natural life that they deserve.