In May, 2015, the NY Times reported that NYBC had “withdrawn all funding,” leaving the chimps to die of starvation and thirst. In order to keep the chimps alive, Liberians who had been employed by NYBC to deliver food and water, began to care for them on a volunteer basis. With virtually no resources and burdened by the Ebola outbreak in Liberia, these volunteers kept the chimpanzees alive until a coalition of over 30 animal conservation groups, led by the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), raised funds from the public to pay for the chimps’ care on an emergency basis.
NYBC's actions have garnered condemnation from its own corporate donors, including MetLife and Citigroup. In 2015, Dr. Jane Goodall issued an open letter to NYBC, saying, "I find it completely shocking and unacceptable that NYBC would abandon these chimpanzees and discontinue support for even their basic needs.” In 2016, elected officials in New York demanded that the organization reinstate their support for the chimps.
Don't let your blood be used for cruelty. Tell the Southold Fire Department you will not donate until they find a different recipient of their semi-annual blood drivess.
