Calif. court rebuffs lab animal lawsuit

SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 23 (UPI) -- A California appeals court ruled, in a suit claiming inhumane research, that Washington alone has jurisdiction over federally funded animal experiments.

The decision came in a ruling that rejected allegations by animal rights activists that the University of California at San Francisco was illegally spending state funds on inhumane research involving animals.

The San Francisco Chronicle said Tuesday that the ruling upheld a lower court decision that said the federal Animal Welfare Act gave oversight authority to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

The ruling issued Friday by the First District Court of Appeal said the USDA was responsible for maintaining a balance between scientific research and the welfare of lab animals.

The Chronicle said the plaintiffs in the case, the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, was considering an appeal to the California Supreme Court.