"I don't think it hurts," Fennessy says. "Wecan't be there every day and neither can theUSDA."

And Ronan, of Cambridge Citizens forResponsible Research, says having a city labanimal commissioner is "a good idea" that can helpreassure the public about the nature of researchthat would otherwise be kept secret.

Of course, the commissioner himself is quick todefend his usefulness. He says the Cambridge labanimals ordinance of 1989, the first of its kindin the nation, created "a great program" thatshould be a model for other cities. And Wiles saysthat before the Cambridge ordinance was passed,most animals in the city were not being inspectedat all. Federal law does not require the USDA toinspect facilities that only have rodents.

Yet Wiles is in a difficult position. Dismissedas "redundant" by institutional representatives,he also fails to win the wholehearted approval ofanimal rights activists.

Ronan says Harvard's record of appointing weakcommunity representatives to the FAS committee onanimal care has not changed under Wiles'supervision.

Ronan charges that Harvard has tended to pickpeople who are "just rubber stamps." He says hedoubts their ability "to represent the community'sinterest and the welfare of the animals."

"The committees are stacked by theinstitutions," Bishop agrees.

Neither the two community representatives northe faculty representatives on the FAS animalresearch committee returned telephone calls.

No matter how good or bad a job Wiles is doing,there are some who would argue that there shouldbe no animal research-related jobs, because thereshould be no animal research at all.

Steven I. Simmons, spokesperson for People forEthical Treatment of Animals (PETA), makes a moralargument against the use of animals in laboratoryresearch.

"We believe animals are not tools for research,but individuals," Simmons says.

And Bishop, who spent eight years analyzing theresults of animal tests as a toxicologist for theCommonwealth of Massachusetts, says animalresearch is also scientifically questionable.

"Animal data just doesn't transfer to humans,"Bishops says. "It's just not useful information."

It is a fear of militant actions by animalrights extremists--some would say terrorists--thatleads to the security precautions at animalfacilities at Harvard and elsewhere. The FASanimal facility is locked away on the fifth floorof a biology laboratory building, and The Crimsonwas told that "university policy" forbidsphotographs of the facility.

Multiple electronic locks, alarm systems andrequired photo ID's for employees are commonplaceat animal facilities in general.