BUAV delighted as government concedes total ban on the use of stray cats and dogs in experiments
27/07/2012
The BUAV, the leading organisation campaigning to end animal experiments, has today welcomed the decision by the UK Government to introduce a legislative ban on the use of stray animals, such as cats and dogs, in experiments. The news comes as draft regulations were published today by the Home Office, to transfer EU regulations into UK law.
After a public consultation last year, it appeared that a current policy ban on using stray animals would be withdrawn. The BUAV launched a vigorous campaign to maintain the ban which was widely supported by the public and MPs. The draft regulations now state that project licences must include “a condition to the effect that a stray animal of a domestic species must not be subjected to a regulated procedure as part of the specified programme of work”.
The new regulations, which will update the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986, have been published in draft prior to limited Parliamentary scrutiny in the autumn. While the prohibition on the use of strays and Great Apes is to be welcomed, many important issues have been omitted from the draft regulations. For example:
Despite the Directive opening the possibility for a less strict inspecting regime than the UK currently has, the Government has pledged to maintain a ‘strong and properly resourced inspectorate’. It is difficult to see how this can be achieved, however, when the number of inspectors continues to fall.
There is no sign of progress on the issue of transparency, despite the public consultation resulting in overwhelming support for reform of Section 24 of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986. The Government has already admitted that Section 24 is incompatible with the new Directive, but has continued to stall by announcing a further consultation on the subject. This further delay means that animals will continue to endure suffering while the public continues to be kept in the dark about what goes on in laboratories.
The Government has also failed to rule out some of the most severe experiments permitted by the Directive, opening the way for inescapable electric shock to be used to induce learned helplessness; animals bred deliberately with genetic disorders which will result in persistent suffering; dogs and non-human primates left in total isolation for long periods of time.
There will be no opportunity for the majority of MPs to debate the new rules, after it was decided that they will instead be examined by a committee, before going to the House of Lords, when Parliament resumes in the autumn. The European Commission requires that they come into force by January 1 next year.
The BUAV Chief Executive Michelle Thew said, “We welcome the Government’s decision to introduce a legislative ban on the use of stray animals in experiments. This was an issue raised by the BUAV and one which received strong public and political concern. Elsewhere in the regulations, although pleased that the Government has maintained stricter UK standards in some areas, we are disappointed these regulations come only a week after figures showed the number of animals being used in experiments reaching an all-time high since the 1986 Act was introduced. These are issues which the public care deeply about, and all MPs should have the chance to give their views in a debate in the House of Commons.”
And other news…………..
UK citizens disgusted by the animal abuses at Cardiff University.
PLEASE SIGN THE PETITION – Link Given Below.
Ricky Gervais joins the BUAV in speaking out against controversial kitten experiments
Links: http://www.buav.org/
http://www.buav.org/article/1069/sign-buav-petition-to-stop-kitten-experiments-at-cardiff-university
Actor and comedian Ricky Gervaishas joined the BUAV in calling for an end to kitten experiments at Cardiff University. The controversial experiments, uncovered by the BUAV’s research team, have hit the headlines in the UK this week. Thanks to our efforts, millions of people across the country are now aware of these cruel experiments that were publicly funded through the Medical Research Council.
In the experiment, litters of new-born kittens were raised in total darkness for 12 weeks, whilst others were deprived of sight in one eye by having their eyelids sewn shut. Under anaesthesia, artificially ventilated and injected with a drug to paralyse eye movements, the kittens were subjected to highly invasive head surgery and the brain was exposed for recordings. Following the tests the animals were killed and their brains dissected.
This week, the BUAV has received widespread coverage for our message – that these experiments on defenceless kittens are not only ethically unacceptable, but there are alternative ways of studying vision and the neurological processes underlying it in human beings that do not involve animal suffering.
The BUAV has taken part in TV and radio interviews including BBC Breakfast, and has featured in numerous newspapers, including the Daily Mail, Daily Mirror, Daily Express, Daily Telegraph and Wales on Sunday.
Ricky told the BUAV:
“I am appalled that kittens are being deprived of sight in one eye by having their eyelids sewn shut. I thought sickening experiments like these were a thing of the past. I support the BUAV in calling for this research to be stopped.”
Please join Ricky Gervais in supporting our campaign to end these shocking experiments with these four easy actions:
2. Support our important work by making a donation
3. Write polite letters/emails to the Vice-Chancellor and the Chair of the Council of Cardiff University calling for these sickening experiments to be stopped:
Governance and Compliance Division,
4th Floor
McKenzie House
30-36 Newport Road
Cardiff
CF24 0DE
Write polite letters/emails to the Medical Research Council calling on it to stop funding the kitten experiments:
Medical Research Council
14th Floor
One Kemble Street
London
WC2B 4AN
corporate@headoffice.mrc.ac.uk
4. Share with your family and friends:
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