Dear Rep. Edolphus Towns,

Because you are the sponsor of the Great Ape Protection Act (H.R. 1326) that is currently waiting to be decided upon, I am writing to ask you to see that this bill is pushed through and cemented into law as quickly as possible. America's chimpanzees are suffering greatly as a result of the laboratory testing pharmaceutical companies are performing on them. Much like humans, chimps are capable of performing advanced physical activities as well as forming emotions such as love and sadness. They don't deserve to experience the pain and suffering the tests create.

If the chimpanzees don't suffer psychological or physical harm due to the testing, they are often euthanized anyway. The fact is laboratory testing almost certainly guarantees a very bleak future for the animal in question.

More and more pharmaceutical companies and educational institutions are choosing animal testing alternatives; the practice of using animals for lab research is quickly becoming obsolete. Please move forward with H.R. 1326 and ensure that all great apes are given the equal chance to live out full, happy lives, safe from the possibility of an inhumane death.

Thank you for your time.