Bill to Protect Chimpanzees Moves Forward

Update: We have an exciting development to report! Invasive
experiments on chimpanzees and other great apes are closer to being history in
the United States now that the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee
has voted to advance the
Great Ape Protection and Cost Savings Act to the full Senate. 

We want to thank everyone who responded to PETA’s call to
urge senators on the committee to pass the bill. Now let’s make sure that this
lifesaving measure becomes law—please contact your U.S. legislators and encourage them to support the great-ape bill when it comes up for a vote!

Originally published April 23, 2012:

In advance of the April 24 U.S. Senate hearing on the historic Great
Ape Protection and Cost Savings Act (GAPCSA), PETA sent members of Congress
a print of a painting along with a photo of and a letter about the artist—a
chimpanzee named Jamie, who was rescued from a laboratory.

Photo: Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest

From Experiments to
Expressionism

Jamie, now 34 years old, spent more than 20 years alone in a
cage in the windowless basement of a Pennsylvania laboratory, where she was used in
hepatitis experiments. In 2008, she—along with six other chimpanzees from the same
laboratory—was rescued with PETA’s help by Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest. Jamie now spends her days relaxing, playing outdoors with her friends, and
expressing herself through art, including pen drawings and finger paintings.
You can watch her creativity in action here.

GAPCSA would ban invasive experiments on chimpanzees, retire
more than 600 federally owned chimpanzees to sanctuaries, and save taxpayers
millions of dollars a year. PETA hopes Jamie’s artwork and photo will help
legislators put a face to this lifesaving bill at a critical moment.

How You Can Help
Great Apes Like Jamie

Please contact your U.S. representative and senators and
urge them to cosponsor and support the Great Ape Protection and Cost Savings
Act.