Animal experimentation (Vivisection) is not only barbaric it is also one of the most dangerous ways in which man imposes his power over non-human animals. Animals varying from primates to mice to farm animals to dogs and cats are tortured, maimed and destroyed so that we can test medicines, cosmetics, household products and chemicals. Not only is this unethical it is also dangerous as animal responses are different to those of humans and drugs that pass as safe when tested on animals often are not safe for human use. This has and continues to be incredibly dangerous and has resulted in people falling seriously ill and dying from adverse drug reactions. These are not isolated incidents MORE THAT A QUARTER OF A MILLION PATIENTS ARE ADMITTED TO HOSPITAL IN THE UK EVERY YEAR BECAUSE OF ADVERSE DRUG REACTIONS (estimates the British Medical Journal 13th May 2006, based on data from 2004). This page is not intended to cover this issue in depth (we have linked to those websites on this page) this page is for reporting the news on recent campaigns against vivisection.
VET DIAGNOSTICS LTD
VIVISECTION ON BRIGHTON’S DOORSTEP
Bantin & Kingman do not have the capabilities at their site to breed monkeys to sell for research so they have to be imported. A holding centre in China is responsible for this, from which the animals are flown to Paris Airport where B&K workers collect them in special vans, bought from Shamrock Farm when they closed. From France, the monkeys are driven to Dover where it is believed they then go to Porton Down for quarantine. This is where Vet Diagnostics come in. UK law says that before a primate can be sold for testing purposes, it has to have a health report done stating if the animal has ay dangerous diseases such as Ebola. Blood samples are taken from these monkeys and sent to Vet Diagnostics where the report is filed. A limited amount of companies are able to create these reports and because of their expertise and employment of ex-Shamrock workers, VD are one of them. Please contact the firm and ask that they do not deal with B&K:
VET DIAGNOSTICS LTD,
Victoria House,
Henfield Road,
Small Dole, Henfield,
West Sussex BN5 9XE
Tel: 01273 494 265 Fax: 01273 495 044
info@vetdiagnostics.co.uk
BOYCOTT THE BODY SHOP – IT’S NOT WORTH IT!
Following the controversial sale of The Body Shop to the world’s largest cosmetics conglomerate L’Oréal, Naturewatch launched its Boycott Body Shop campaign against the self-styled ‘ethical retailer’ at a hugely successful launch protest in June 2006 at the Body Shop’s Littlehampton HQ.
Since then, peaceful protests have been taking place around the UK to inform consumers that The Body Shop, whose website states ‘we consider testing products or ingredients on animals to be morally and scientifically indefensible’, is now owned by a company that supports animal testing. Throughout the country, campaign supporters are collecting the signatures of people who pledge not to shop at The Body Shop until L’Oréal, its parent company, ends its use of animals in the development of cosmetics and toiletries. For more information on this campaign go to www.naturewatch.org/
The SPEAK campaign is opposed to the expansion of the Oxford University animal testing laboratories. Oxford University test on dogs, cats, rabbits and primates. The main focus of this campaign is the use of primates in vivisection and that the new lab is being built to specifically house and experiment on primates. One of the most recent horrors to be exposed surrounds a Macaque monkey known as George. George was almost certainly wild caught but was kept for several years inside Oxford University and underwent a number of painful experiments which included invasive brain surgery. George was then blinded and as part of the experiment then taken out into the university park. We can only imagine the terror experienced by this wild caught, blind, individual who after being kept caged indoors for years was suddenly exposed to the outside world. To make matters worse this information came directly from the “scientist” who conducted these experiments and was witnessed laughing while he gave his account. George has since been killed as he is no longer of use to the university. George is only one example of the animals that have suffered and died at the hands of Oxford University and there will be many more if this lab gets built.
WHAT YOU CAN DO:
For more information on this campaign check out www.speak.org.uk
Boycott Vodafone and contact their managers (details on SPEAK website) – sound strange? Oxford University’s records show that in 2003, the Vodafone Group Foundation gave £184,494.14 to the university. A very effective campaign method is to boycott suppliers and supporters of laboratories and put pressure on them to withdraw support. This is also a good deterrent for other companies who may be considering investing in companies that abuse animals.
Join the SPEAK demos in Oxford lifts are often available from Brighton.
WICKHAM LABS
In 1984 Wickham Labs was exposed as being a centre where beagles were being used in laboratory experiments. Since then more disturbing evidence has come to light which links them to the pet-trade, grouse shooting, the meat industry and that they are carrying out illegal experiments:
Dogs inside Wickham were not purpose bred for vivisection and were able to respond to commands such as “sit” and “lie down”. Mr David Walker the director of the Royal College of Surgeons and also Wickham Labs has publicly approached the RSPCA requesting they hand over their stray dogs to animal testing laboratories. Think how you would feel if this was your lost pet.
Wickham Labs is involved in testing a fungicide (of no benefit to humans) that is used by the game shooting industry – captive game-birds are given this fungicide to ensure that they have no contact with any natural entities, before they are released into the wild and shot down.
Analytical Chemistry is used by Wickham to test the nutritional qualities of factory farmed meat.
In December 2003, animal care volunteers entered the laboratories, and revealed that tests were being carried out using a highly controversial, and partially banned LD50 test to test BOTOX.
What you can do:
For more information on this campaign check out the Stop Wickham Animal Testing (SWAT) website www.swatonline.co.uk
Come along to the demos held at the labs and suppliers of the labs.
VIVISECTION: SOMETHING YOU CAN DO:
CONTACT THE SUPPLIERS OF THE LABS and politely request they stop working with the the vivisection lab or company. List of suppliers can found here UPDATE
EARLY DAY MOTION: We need to persuade our MPs to sign the Early Day Motion92 (EDM92) – ANIMAL TESTING OF DRUGS. Absurdly this subject has never been debated in parliament! This motion could be the start of the end of vivisection!! To find out who your MP is go to www.writetothem.com and type in your postcode. To see if they have signed it go to http://edmi.parliment.uk and search by edm92. If they haven’t signed it please write to them and tell them how important this motion is!
Disclaimer: Brighton Animal Action’s aim is to bring an end to all forms of animal abuse and cruelty by all legitimate forms of protest. Nothing contained in this website, our emails or our literature is intended to encourage or incite illegal acts. BAA does not encourage or incite threatening or abusive communications or behaviour towards the perpetrators of any such animal abuse or cruelty, be this by telephone call, fax, email, letter or protest. Any press articles published in a newsletter, website or other publication relating to any illegal activities are for the sole purpose of reporting the news and are not intended to incite or encourage similar acts. The comments expressed in our emails, website, or future newsletters/publications are not necessarily the views of BAA or the editors or producers.
