Animals are kept in appalling living conditions
In reality research centres using animals must follow strict and detailed EU laws to ensure the most appropriate environment for laboratory animals and that their needs are met. For example mice and rats are housed in cages that contain shredded paper and pieces of wood to build nests and to find refuge. Animals also have opportunities to climb and explore. They are encouraged to perform their habitual activities, which reduce stress. Scientists have no reason to mistreat research animals and good reason for treating them well, because the use of unhealthy, stressed or frightened animals reduces the reliability of an experiment’s results. Staff are trained to handle the animals in a way that will reduce any potential stress.
Animal testing should only be used for products that are intended for animals of the same species.
e.g mouse testing mouse flea killer
Physically, they could be in perfect health but they have no voices to tell us about their mental health.
They can’t say “Ouch! That hurts!”, or tell us what they want.
Animal testing should be made illegal ALL over the world.
This was posted on facebook
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10150496323688368&set=p.10150496323688368&type=1&theater
Very disturbing with the following text attached.
Vero Persefone~~
MaxFactor is one of the many companies that run vivisection labs for their products. The following is one of their protocols..
Certain products must go a skin toxicity test. Some animals like cats are used to test these ingredients making them undergo thru severely painful and crippling experiments. These tests must be done directly on the skin, so it is essential to expose the skin thoroughly by …pulling their hair with tape. The animal is previously immobilized to prevent scratching and licking on the wound. The irritant substances are then applied to the freshly exposed skin and the area is then covered with adhesive plaster. Days later, the researchers observe the reaction of the irritant. This test continuously repeated on the same body area for a whole year.
Boycott MaxFactor & raise awareness by sharing this picture with others…only buy products not tested on animals!
Is this true and if not people should not be allowed post and share content which is offensive, I am against animal testing and think that if this is true there needs to be more law changes
Writing such an article all you scientists are ridiculing yourself. People who care about animal welfare know that neither zoos nor fur farms and certainly no laboratories can assure animals appropriate living conditions as all of you claim.
Such euphemistic words carry no meaning anyway when the true fact is that most animals will never leave your ”beautiful” laboratories alive.
Charlotte, thank you for your point of view. From what I have seen in Europe there has been great debate of this very question. I have learnt that all labs must have a vet on site and trained animal welfare specialists who monitor the health and well being of the lab animals to spot animals suffering from stress and pain. There’s more information in this blog post I drafted last year after a converstation with a vet [http://animaltestingperspectives.org/2011/news-and-interviews/finding-the-right-balance-between-animal-welfare-human-welfare/]. If you have a specific question, please ask and I will endevour to get an answer for you.
A.Maria, from what I have heard, EU law [http://ec.europa.eu/environment/chemicals/lab_animals/home_en.htm] does a lot to protect the welfare of lab animals, however the problem is we have to trust that this is being done and we know in the past animals weren’t give the consideration that they are today.
Lyndsay, you have a valid concern and I guess you are aware that in Europe legislation has just been approved to ban the use of animals in cosmetic research. You can find out more on the European commission page: http://ec.europa.eu/consumers/sectors/cosmetics/animal-testing/index_en.htm . Also, you might find this article on artificial skin interesting http://www.tissue-factory.com/en/Images/PB_Haut_3-D_e_tcm404-51571.pdf