University Says Bill Maher Misled by PETA on Cat Research

HBO host Bill Maher is no stranger to inserting himself into contentious debates, but this time the target of his latest harangue is fighting back.

Maher teamed with PETA to decry cruel cat experiments being conducted on the campus of The University of Wisconsin-Madison. The comedian taped a robocall message that reached more than 100,000 Madison-area residents about the animal testing going on in their neighborhood.

The University begs to differ, citing independent research it claims cleared it of the charges PETA and Maher allege.

The robocalls made this week by Bill Maher continue that campaign of misinformation and in no way reflect the facts as they have been independently established. While Mr. Maher and PETA are entitled to their points of view, the facts tell us that the research in question is important, was conducted appropriately [NIH findings regarding the condition and care of the animals can be found at the bottom of page 9] and humanely, and will lead to a better understanding of hearing and technologies to address hearing loss.