Accountability?

Priscilla Feral, the President of Friends of Animals and new head of the board of PPI claims “there will be accountability”.

But to whom will these people be accountable? And why, given their failures for over a decade, should anyone believe that they will now suddenly become accountable?

In a letter Feral wrote to Wally Swett over 15 years ago that was entered into evidence with the court, Feral admits to covering up for Swett’s substance abuse and mental health problems. She also raises concerns about the bad influence Stephen Tello was having (and now she is claiming he is most qualified to run PPI). Feral wrote:

“When you had 300 animals, I was worried that you wouldn’t draw the line. Now there are 500 and as long as Stephen is involved, there seems to be no stopping you, yet I sit in fear that all hell will break loose in February and that Stephen’s behavior toward you will have everything to do with it.”

Feral was aware of the decline at PPI long before the OSU chimps and monkeys were sent there and the heroic efforts to reform PPI began, but apparently was not accountable.

A court appointed independent inspector in May 2006 reported that:

“In 1999, 32 Air Force chimps were brought to Primarily Primates and today there are only 16 on site, a 50% loss in 7 years.

In the last 3 years, 11 chimps have died… that is a 18% death loss for chimps alone, which is higher than would be expected. During this 3 year period there have been about 124 deaths of mammals, mostly monkeys, and not including birds, which at the estimate of 800 animals, comes to 15.5% per year death loss.”

Two of the board members as well as Tello and Feral must have known of these tragic losses, but were not accountable.

Friends of Animals itself does not meet all of the Better Business Bureau’s standards for Charitable Accountability!

If evidence from past behavior is any indication, there is very little reason to believe these people will be accountable for their actions – and it is the animals who will suffer.