Here’s a roundup of last week’s biggest news stories related to animal research — all the recent media coverage you need to know right now to be the most effective activist for animals in labs.
Proposed NIH Funding Change Creates Panic Among Vivisectors
Rise for Animals, 2/18/2025
Grants from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) are absurdly lucrative for recipients, as they can cover not just the experiments themselves but also various associated costs. A proposed change threatens to upend this system, however — and the animal research industry is panicking. 📰 Full Story →
Mice deaths prompt watchdog group to call for Clemson researcher ban
Amanda Shaw, FOX Carolina, 2/14/2025
“A national animal watchdog group is asking Clemson University to ban several scientific researchers from animal experimentation.”
“A report dated Dec. 16 said mice in a Public Health Service-funded activity were being prepared for imaging. According to the report, the animals’ fur was removed using a razor and then Nair hair removal cream. One of the mice sustained chemical burns . . . the mouse was later euthanized….”
“A second report from Dec. 16 said while a student was preparing a mouse for ultrasound, it suffered an internal injury . . . ‘The animal died and the cause of death is unknown . . . ,’ the report states.” 📰 Full Story →
Activists Protest at Elon Musk’s Neuralink, Call for End to Animal Experiments
Direct Action Everywhere, IndyBay, 2/15/2025
“On Saturday afternoon, over 50 activists from the Berkeley-based animal rights network, Direct Action Everywhere (DxE), protested outside a Neuralink lab in Fremont to protest the company’s cruel experiments on animals.”
“Protestors displayed a giant Elon Musk head with a speech bubble reading ‘I TORTURE MONKEYS’ and a banner reading ‘Stop Elon’s Monkey Business.’ With some activists dressed as monkeys inside cages, others held signs reading ‘Primates are not prototypes.’ Several Bay Area residents, including a former animal experimenter, gave speeches condemning the cruelty and ineffectiveness of animal testing.”
“Some of the activists attempted to deliver a sink to the Neuralink lab—in reference to the sink Musk brought to the Twitter Headquarters to proclaim ‘Let that sink in.’ Security did not accept the sink.” 📰 Full Story →
Exclusive: U.S. FDA Confirms New Sunscreen Requirements Mandate Animal Testing
Cristina Montemayor, BeautyMatter, 2/18/2025
“ . . . the FDA has [] begun revising sunscreen regulations following their 2019 findings that certain ingredients can be absorbed through the skin into the body. These revisions now include requirements for animal testing of chemical sunscreen ingredients, despite years of existing human data supporting their safety.”
“The beauty industry has accumulated extensive clinical data on human subjects through decades of product use in the market. Companies have shared this data in response to updated regulations and the FDA’s safety testing requirements. Sources tell BeautyMatter that the FDA has maintained its outdated approaches to certain types of safety testing . . . despite the availability of this real-world data.” 📰 Full Story →
Petition to ban scientific tests on dogs passes 160,000 signatures
Calum Loudon, STV News, 2/19/2025
“A petition to immediately ban the use of dogs in scientific and regulatory procedures has been signed by more than 160,000 people. The petition was launched by Camp Beagle, a group that has been protesting outside MBR Acres . . . MBR Acres, owned by US corporation Marshall Bioresources, is a facility that breeds dogs for scientific, medical, and veterinary research in the UK….”
“It has so far reached over 160,000 signatures, meaning it will be considered for debate at Westminster….”. 📰 Full Story →
Federal Council rejects the popular initiative for a ban on animal testing
blue News, 2/19/2025
The Swiss Federal Council “reject[ed] the new initiative to ban animal experiments, without a counter-proposal.”
“In addition to animal experiments, the animal experimentation ban initiative want[ed] to ban the breeding of laboratory animals and the trade in animals for experiments . . . According to its press release, the Federal Council fears that the initiative will have far-reaching consequences for key areas of research, both in medicine and the life sciences.” 📰 Full Story →
Animal rights campaigner wins ruling allowing him near a facility where dogs are bred for medical research
Milo Pope, Daily Mail, 2/20/2025
An animal rights campaigner has described a High Court ruling allowing him near a facility where beagles are bred for medical research as a ‘victory of David over Goliath’.”
“ . . . in a 109-page ruling, Mr Justice Nicklin has lifted a restriction banning the [campaigner] from protesting near to the entrance of the [MBR Acres, which breeds animals for animal testing and research].”
“‘I thank the judge for not allowing the corporate world to rule the courts.’” 📰 Full Story →
University of Bath confirm end to controversial experiment on mice
Phoebe Hobbs, SomersetLive, 2/20/2025
“Mice are no longer being forced to swim in animal tests at the University of Bath. The university has confirmed – ahead of its license expiring in June – that it has no plans to subject any more animals to the ‘forced swim test’.”
“The University of Bath’s announcement follows a campaign by PETA, which saw, among other actions, protests and more than 50,000 protest letters from members and supporters. The animal protection group also released video footage obtained from University of Bath” that “purports to show mice undergoing the test at the University of Bath. The video was viewed over 10,000 times and received a mixed reaction.” 📰 Full Story →
Stop Congress from Funding EVEN MORE Primate Research!
Rise for Animals, 2/19/2025
Taxpayer dollars should not be spent on unethical science that fails both humans and animals. The NIH is bent on investing more and more of our money in unethical research that is not relevant to — and does not help — people. Sign the letter urging your legislators to deny this funding now! ✍️ Take Action →