ABSTRACT
PETA fi rst came to public attention in 1981 during the so-called Silver Spring monkey case which sparked a public controversy on animal use for experimental research. In a bid to make new discoveries in the fi eld of neuroplasticity, the Institute of Behavioral Research in Silver Spring, Maryland, conducted cruel experiments on monkeys without providing them with adequate shelter and veterinary care. PETA initiated a police investigation of the laboratory, resulting in the fi rst arrest and criminal conviction of an animal experimenter in the US on charges of cruelty to animals and an amendment to the Animal Welfare Act in 1985.
