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More Uncaged sites: Contact us: 01.02.2010 |
newsflashMEPs under fire for vivisection law betrayalUncaged is accusing MEPs of ‘looking the other way’ while a draft law on animal experiments is being stitched up by Government and industry behind closed doors. New clauses relating to national laws and alternatives would render the new Directive even weaker than the minimal 86/609 Directive it was intended to improve upon. More... uncaged campaigns
ANIMAL EXPERIMENTSThe UK Government annual statistics 2007 reveal that over 3.2 million animals suffer and die in British laboratories in experiments that "may cause pain, suffering, distress and lasting harm" (experiments that are considered unlikely to cause pain do not need to be licensed and are therefore not included in the annual statistics). An estimated additional 8 million animals are bred and then destroyed as surplus to requirements. As well as mice, rats, hamsters, gerbils and guinea pigs (the bulk of experiments involve rodents), other animals such as rabbits, dogs, cats, monkeys, horses, cows, pigs, sheep, fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds and even insects are used - in fact there's hardly a species that are not experimented on. Many different kinds of experiments take place - painful and lethal diseases are inflicted on animals; animals are isolated, starved, burned, blinded, poisoned, irradiated and they are still used to test a wide range of substances from food additives to cleaning products. All of the animals used in experiments are killed. After years of gradual decline recent statistics (from 2002 onwards) have shown a steady increase in the number of animal experiments taking place and the advent of genetic engineering threatens to continue this upward trend. Our opposition to animal experiments is both ethical and scientific. Ethically speaking, to deliberately torture and take the life of another sentient creature, be they human or nonhuman, is an abuse of power. As a society we already recognise this and legal action can be taken against people who mistreat companion animals. Yet we don't extend this level of protection to animals in laboratories. Scientifically speaking, experimentation on animals is a fundamentally flawed approach to learning about human biology and disease. Differences between the infinitely complex biological systems of different species of animals mean that data gained from experiments on nonhumans are an unreliable and dangerous guide to the human condition. Experiments on animals persist because of entrenched prejudices, both ethical and scientific. Global ActionSince our formation in 1993, Uncaged has established an international reputation as a respected contributor to the debate on animal experimentation, and as a forthright and principled defender of animals. In addition to our work lobbying the UK Government to stop animal experiments, we campaign in the international arena. We spearhead the Global Boycott of Procter & Gamble, we work with groups around the world who are protesting against xenotransplantation, and our campaign for animal rights has been supported by organisations across the globe as we aim to achieve the ratification of a Universal Declaration of Animal Rights by the United Nations. PLEASE HELP!To make an online donation click here. To make a donation either by cheque/postal order or by regular Direct Debit (just £5 per month would help us to plan our campaigns in advance with more financial security) you can access our downloadable form by clicking here. For further information about how you can help see uncaged action or contact us. Uncaged Campaigns is a not-for-profit organization; registered number: 3241514 |
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