# BUAV: Animal testing highlighted in run-up to Glasgow North East by election



## testmg80 (Jul 28, 2008)

Tuesday, 10, Nov 2009 12:00

As polling day approaches in Glasgow North East, the BUAV, the UK's leading organisation campaigning to end animal experiments, is calling on voters to consider candidates views on animal testing when casting their vote. Recently released figures show that 555,567 procedures on animals were carried out in Scotland in 2008, a 42% increase since 2007 and representing 15% of the total experiments in the UK (1).

A recent YouGov opinion poll which took place in a number of countries in the EU, including the UK, showed that a resounding 84% of the public said they wanted experiments causing severe pain or distress banned within the EU (2).

The BUAV has offered each candidate the opportunity to share their views on a number of different issues including access to information, funding for alternatives and the use of cats and dogs in research. Only Eileen Baxendale (Liberal Democrat) and David Doherty (Green Party) responded to this request with candidates strongly agreeing that more needed doing to reverse the increasing trend of animals used in experiments.

BUAV chief executive, Michelle Thew stated: "With over half a million animals used in experiments in Scotland every year, it is important that voters have the opportunity to know candidates' views on this subject when the time comes to cast their vote. We really appreciate Eileen Baxendale and David Doherty strong commitment to reducing the number of animals used and hope that whoever is elected on Thursday will share this view."

ENDS

For further information, please contact Carla Owen on +44 (0)207 619 6965 or [email protected] or BUAV (out of hours) +44 (0)7850 510 955 or visit our Web site Home, BUAV

1. Number of procedures figure provided in Hansard 12th October 2009 House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 12 Oct 2009 (pt 0114)

2. All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc. Total sample size was 7139 adults. Fieldwork was undertaken between 24th February - 4th March 2009. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of the population sizes of the countries surveyed.

Disclaimer:
Press releases published on this page are from key opinion formers who promote their organisation's activities by subscribing to a campaign site within politics.co.uk. politics.co.uk does not endorse, edit, or attempt to balance the opinions expressed on this page. The content of press releases are wholly the responsibility of the originating company or organisation.

http://www.politics.co.uk/opinion-formers/press-releases/animal-welfare/buav-animal-testing-highlighted-in-run-up-to-glasgow-north-east-by-election-$1339657$364615.htm

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## Fade to Grey (Nov 10, 2007)

this may be a bit controversial but i dont think ALL animal testing should be banned, after all if things weren't tested on them we wouldn't have the flu jab and many many other medicines etc. make up and useless stuff like that yes ban that kind of testing.


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## testmg80 (Jul 28, 2008)

Fade to Grey said:


> this may be a bit controversial but i dont think ALL animal testing should be banned, after all if things weren't tested on them we wouldn't have the flu jab and many many other medicines etc. make up and useless stuff like that yes ban that kind of testing.


It's not the fact that some animal testing is nessesary. Once the the animals have served their purpose, they there is no further use for them, no rehoming, no shelters, no sanctuarys, they are just just killed and added to the pile. For an an example of this, the animal testing, please visit The Cat - All Creatures Animal Exploitation Photo Gallery

Warning! The photos are Very disturbing and graphic. This is what goes on in animal testing labs such as Huntingdon Life Sciences et al.


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## FREE SPIRIT (Jul 8, 2009)

testmg80 said:


> It's not the fact that some animal testing is nessesary. Once the the animals have served their purpose, they there is no further use for them, no rehoming, no shelters, no sanctuarys, they are just just killed and added to the pile. For an an example of this, the animal testing, please visit The Cat - All Creatures Animal Exploitation Photo Gallery
> 
> Warning! The photos are Very disturbing and graphic. This is what goes on in animal testing labs such as Huntingdon Life Sciences et al.


Ive just clicked on that link Steve and im truly sickened by the cruelty. Believe me id love to see those who inflict this cruelty suffer the same themselves. I am an animal lover and i do appreciate some testing needs to be done but not to that extreme. I honestly dont think there's any excuse for animals to be treated this way.


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## ClaireLily (Jul 8, 2008)

testmg80 said:


> It's not the fact that some animal testing is nessesary. Once the the animals have served their purpose, they there is no further use for them, no rehoming, no shelters, no sanctuarys, they are just just killed and added to the pile. For an an example of this, the animal testing, please visit The Cat - All Creatures Animal Exploitation Photo Gallery
> 
> Warning! The photos are Very disturbing and graphic. This is what goes on in animal testing labs such as Huntingdon Life Sciences et al.


Ok I expect to be virtually lynched here but here goes.

I am a scientist and have worked in 3 places all of which use animals as a means of research. Whether that be to find out more about physiological processes or as a model to test possible therapeutics before trying them on humans. I have worked in a cancer research lab, a pharmaceutical company and in a developmental lab looking into premature birth defects.
In each case I felt and feel that the sacrifice of the mice is worth the benefit to humans.
In each of these places there are mega strict guidelines imposed by the Home Office which everyone has to follow. In order to obtain a project license (the licence required to allow work on animals under your supervision) there are in depth training courses which are reviewed on a continuous basis. Further in order to work with the animals the individual person must also train for a personal licence. This involved at least a 2 day training course for rodents, much longer for any other animals and I can't comment on that as I have only ever worked with mice, followed by about 20 hours handling training.
Every person involved in the care and husbandry of animals that I know is a massive animal lover and usually have many of their own pets. 
Animals which have not been treated with radioactive compound or that are not in any way genetically altered can be and are re-homed.

None of the pictures on that website come from the UK!! The Home office does not allow anywhere near that level of suffering, even under the the most extream of licence conditions and cats are not used in scientific research in the UK.

It scares me to see these types of pics being banded about with no clear explanation as to where the pics were taken and more importantly when they were taken. All animal laws have been reviewed since many of these types of pics were taken. I can't vouch for other countries but I know for fact that this kind of torture does not occur in UK labs and if it does then please inform the Home Office who I am sure will be only to happy to revoke all licences the establishment holds.

Anyone interested in finding out exactly what scientists in the UK are permitted to do should look at the link below.

I really wish people would stop scaremongering and banding horrific pictures around without proper clear information and also, anyone who has a problem with any medical procedure or therapeutic being tested on animals should volunteer to themselves be tested on or refuse all medical intervention should it be required otherwise its hypocracy!!!

The three R's have been drummed into me reduce, replace and refine and this code has been followed in all places I have worked.

Reduction refers to methods that enable researchers to obtain comparable levels of information from fewer animals, or to obtain more information from the same number of animals.
Replacement refers to the preferred use of non-animal methods over animal methods whenever it is possible to achieve the same scientific aim.
Refinement refers to methods that alleviate or minimize potential pain, suffering or distress, and enhance animal welfare for the animals still used.

I also wish to point out that I do not condone any form of animal cruelty and I do not agree with animal testing for any purpose other than medical advancement.

Legislation | Home Office


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