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World Week For Animals In Laboratories
posted on April 22, 2006
April 23 - 30
The Vancouver based ecology organization will be calling upon the Federal government to conduct an inquiry into the increase of painful experiments on animals. This public awareness campaign will be started during the 2006 World Week for Animals in Laboratories as part of international opposition to cruel, scientifically fallacious experiments. Lifeforce is calling upon people to poster their neighbourhoods with the Canadian Vivisection Poster that can be downloaded from our Website at www.lifeforcefoundation.org. We are also urging everyone to send the poster to his or hers MPs.
"Nearly 2.5 million animals are killed every year in Canadian labs. Government, health organizations, businesses and public donations fund it. According to the last statistics there is an increase of 16% from 2002 to 2003. Dogs and cats are seized from pounds. There has not been phase out of cruel, scientifically fallacious "animal models" even though reliable, non-animal humane methodologies are available. The vivisection multi-billion dollar industry polices themselves," stated Peter Hamilton. Lifeforce Founding Director, "There must be public accountability. There must be an end to this waste of scarce health care funds",
Animal Models
Researchers create "animal models" by attempting to mimic naturally occurring human health problems in formerly healthy animals. However, they are not studying the actual human maladies and animals react differently to the drugs and methodologies tested. There are major biological and anatomical differences between and within all species.
A recent example of inaccurate animal models is the clinical trails that resulted in severe side effects but proven safe in monkeys and other animals.
Increase of Animals
A Canadian Council on Animal Care (CCAC) report of the numbers of animals used in research, teaching and testing has revealed an increased of 16% from 2002 to nearly two and a half millions animals in Canada in 2003 (last reported figures).
Pain
In 2003, institutions providing the information confessed that 1306 dogs and 496 cats were subjected to "moderate to severe distress or discomfort" (Category D). The use of pain relievers for invasive procedures can be withheld for "strong, scientifically-based justification is provided.".
There were also 2,866 monkeys experimented on 227 were used in Cat. D
In 2003, 58% of the animals were subjected to "fundamental studies" - basic science that is curiosity studies with no direct benefit to humans. That's why whenever "breakthroughs" are reported researchers add that further studies are needed.
CCAC
The Peer Review System and the pro-vivisection organizations such as the CCAC protect the vivisectors not the animals. The CCAC inspections are confidential (many facilities are only given conditional approvals and two are on "probation" - April 2004 to March 2005) and there are no bans on even the cruellest practices (categories D and E). Lifeforce is the only organization in Canada that has succeeded in laying cruelty to animal charges against researchers. Our 1984 case exposed the practice of restraining baboons for four months in experiments funded by the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario.
Lifeforce Recommendations
1. That there is a reduction in the numbers of animals used in experiments.
2. To work towards the goal of phasing out the use of unreliable animal models.
3. That there will be a ban on chronic restraint of animals and painful experiments (Categories D and E).
4. Annual Reports and inspection reports be public information (as in the US)
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