Animal Testing and the European Parliament

Animal Voice received this important comunication from Uncaged, regarding vivisection and the European Parliament.
Please read the letter, watch the videos (warning = they may contain upsetting images for some of you) and check out all the related material.
If you care for the animals, i am sure you'll want to be active in reducing and stopping their pain.


"I'm writing to you at a critical point in a once-in-a-lifetime battle where the lives of millions of innocent animals are at stake. Those animals need you to stand up for them now by writing to Members of the European Parliament.
This battle is over a new law that will govern animal experiments across Europe. The fate of hundreds of millions of monkeys, pigs, dogs, sheep, cats, rabbits, mice, rats, guinea pigs, ferrets, birds and other animals over the next few decades is hanging in the balance.

Next Tuesday, 31st March, will see an absolutely crucial vote at the European Parliament. MEPs on the Agriculture Committee will be voting on a set of proposals produced by an English MEP for the South West England region called Neil Parish.
My colleagues and I across the European animal protection movement have been horrified by many of Parish's proposals, which actually severely weaken the original draft produced by the European Commission last November. It would mean that animals will be even more vulnerable to the kind of horrific abuse exposed by Uncaged in cross-species organ transplant experiments.

In 2003 we won a historic legal victory that allowed us to publish the ‘Diaries of Despair’ – daily records of dying monkeys who had been transplanted with pig organs. They provide unique, damning evidence of why it is imperative we act now on behalf of animals. This was the harrowing demise of just two of the monkeys who had already suffered a dangerous, agonising journey half way round the word and lengthy confinement in a bleak wire cage:

X536f was observed: "looking very weak with head in hands... vomiting profusely”

On X528f’s final day of life she was “Lying on floor, bruising on face and arms, weak, subdued, inactive, in a crouched position showing limited response to touch.”

These animals were suffering the devastating effects of vital organ failure and drug cocktails so toxic that they caused internal haemorrhaging. Their pain and suffering was unimaginable. We can’t stand by while such atrocities are inflicted on the innocent – we need your help to save them from this wretched fate.


Please send an email TODAY or ASAP to members of the Agriculture Committee from your country. Click HERE for a list of the members and links to their contact details.


These are some of the key points to mention:

(1) You are alarmed by attempts to weaken animal protection measures that the European Commission wishes to see introduced.

(2) The Commission wants to phase out the use of wild-caught primates. Amendments that conflict with this goal must be opposed. Despite scaremongering by pro-animal research industry groups, there is no evidence that such a phase-out would damage medical research.

(3) You oppose proposals that would allow any animal to be subjected to 'prolonged, severe' suffering.

(4) Reducing animal use will improve the quality of science, as well as preventing animal suffering. This will make European laboratories attractive to business and academic researchers rather than – as has been threatened – lead to an exodus to parts of the world where standards are lower.

(5) It is vital that all proposed 'projects' using animals are scrutinised rather than being given automatic approval. The Committee is faced with proposals that would allow most research projects to go through on the nod.

(6) You support measures that call for regular thematic reviews of specific areas of animal use and replacement by non-animal systems. Without such a systematic approach, the introduction of non-animal methods will be an unnecessarily protracted process.

(7) Increased accountability, transparency and access to information – as well as data sharing to avoid duplication of experiments – are all vital.

(8) You urge Committee members not to bow to the powerful, self-interested biomedical lobby. They should vote instead for measures that increase animal welfare and which tackle unjustified secrecy and concealment.

Uncaged
http://www.uncaged.co.uk/


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