As a former researcher at the Royal Veterinary College where I worked with zebrafish, my experiences with the transparency and care that place put into its testing procedures were enlightening and inspiring. Now as a part of the Ohio State University community, I believe that we deserve the same standard of transparency here.

Every year, numerous animal experimental procedures are undertaken for various research projects at the university, but exact numbers and types of these procedures are yet to be routinely reported. Only by requiring annual transparency reports, can we ensure responsible use of animals in research, foster openness regarding experimental procedures, and promote ethical practices within the academic community.

Consider these statistics: It has been estimated that in the U.S., about 12-27 million animals are used each year in scientific research excluding rats, mice, birds, and fish which aren’t covered by the Animal Welfare Act (source: PETA). Without transparency in reporting, there's no sure way of knowing how many of these are at Ohio State University.

As reported in The Columbus Dispatch, according to a nonprofit organization Stop Animal Exploitation Now (SAEN), they have called for OSU to return $1.76 million in research grant money to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) due to alleged animal abuse involving mice in a cancer immunotherapy research project. SAEN sent a letter to OSU President Kristina M. Johnson, urging the university to fire the principal investigator responsible for the research and retract the related scientific article published in the National Library of Medicine. The nonprofit claims that the principal investigator failed to euthanize suffering animals, did not provide pain relief, and used expired drugs during the project. SAEN co-founder Michael A. Budkie argues that these violations not only caused significant suffering but also invalidated the experiment's findings (Henry, 2023). An annual report would have easily prevented this from happening. Once OSU tests are brought into the public eye, they will be liable to public scrutiny. 

For the sake of transparency, animal welfare, and promoting a robust and ethically sound scientific community, it is essential that Ohio State University implement annual reports disclosing the exact figures of animal testing it engages in. This will not only ensure better accountability but also foster trust between the university and the public.

Let us join together to call for this needed change. Please, sign this petition and demonstrate your support for transparency and ethical standards in our research practices.