Help save them

Us dogs and cats are meant to be mans best friend !

 

we  don't belong in laboratories.
 

Yet each year hundreds of cats and thousands of us dogs are harmed in cruel experiments in the UK

Be a friend to dogs and cats - join the campaign and  help save them  from cruel experiments .
 
Our family have signed!  Have you ?

Please sign this petition -- https://www.secureweb-services.com/obf_petition/

For more information click --

http://www.ourbestfriends.org/get-involved or  www.buav.org   

or  https://twitter.com/TheBUAV

 

Please help spread the word

Love Willow & Frayer

 

The follow information is courtesy of BUAV - The Campaign to End All Animal Experiments

Revealed in European Union statistics: Nearly 18,000 dogs used for experiments

The BUAV reacts with disappointment to the EU statistics on animal experimentation which included an unacceptably high use of dogs.

The campaigning organisation has announced that the figures revealed in the animal testing EU statistics, announced on Thursday 12th, ‘aren’t the significant progress for animals in laboratories that they had hoped for’.

One of the shocking findings was that across Europe 17,896 dogs were used in experiments, with 3,715 used for fundamental biological studies, 4,671 for the research and development of human and veterinary medicines and dentistry, 65 for the production and quality control of human medicines and dentistry, 927 for the production and quality control of veterinary medicines, 7,488 for toxicology and other safety tests, 458 for the diagnosis of diseases, 351 for education and training and 221 for other experimentation.

Although this represents a 16% decrease in the number of dogs used, the BUAV is disappointed that dogs continue to be used in such high numbers. The BUAV is calling on the pharmaceutical industry to search for more reliable testing methods not involving the use of dogs or other animals after it released details last month of a ground-breaking new analysis showing that using dogs in experiments to predict toxic responses in humans is no better than tossing a coin.

Dogs are largely used in toxicity (poisoning) testing both for human and veterinary drugs, as well as agrochemicals. They can be force fed chemicals and drugs in capsules or via plastic tubes inserted through their mouths, directly into their stomach or strapped into a harness for hours at a time while substances are pumped directly into their bloodstream. Animals can suffer adverse effects that result in vomiting, diarrhoea, weight loss and lethargy. Some dogs may become so ill that they either die or have to be euthanased for welfare purposes.

The BUAV’s Chief Executive, Michelle Thew states: “Whilst we cautiously welcome the decrease in overall numbers of animals used in Europe’s laboratories, it is disappointing that further progress has not been made. Many people share their homes with dogs and the public will find the use of nearly 18,000 canines upsetting and unnecessary. European researchers should be leading the way in pioneering humane alternatives, not continuing to carry out cruel animal experiments. This is not the significant progress for animals in laboratories we had hoped for.”

The BUAV cautiously welcomed a decrease of 4.3% (519,501 animals) in the number of animal experiments carried out across the European Union but believes this is likely to be more of a reflection of the economic climate as none of the member countries have a committed strategy for reduction in place.

This follows the publication of the Seventh Statistical Report by the European Commission which covers data collected by 27 Member States for the year 2011*.

Under the banner ‘Cats and dogs are our best friends – they don’t belong in laboratories’, the BUAV launched its ‘Our Best Friends’ campaign in June to ban all experiments on dogs and cats in the UK.