Here’s a roundup of this 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.
Council Rejects Lease to Science Corp Over Animal Ethical Concerns
Karin K. Jensen, 10/20/2023
“On October 17, [Alameda, Calif.] City Council rejected staff’s recommendation to lease Building 11 at Alameda Point to Science Corporation . . . At issue was the ethics of leasing public land to a company engaging in animal experimentation….”
“Public comment was sharply divided, with the majority opposed.”
“ . . . Vice Mayor Tony Daysog said that the City values no killing of animals.” Full Story →
Royal College of Surgeons Ireland Criticised For Commissioning ‘Cruel’ Animal Experiments in US
Darragh McDonagh, 10/21/2023
“An animal welfare group has accused the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) of ‘offshoring animal cruelty’ by outsourcing experiments on chinchillas to an institute in the US, where EU regulations governing the treatment of test subjects do not apply.”
“As many as 23 of the exotic rodents died in a series of experiments conducted at the Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW) in 2021 . . . The MCW carried out the research on behalf of the RCSI…..”
“Records released under the freedom of information laws show that the chinchillas had electrodes inserted into their heads and had their eardrums deliberately perforated before ultimately dying or being euthanized over a number of weeks.”
“The Irish Anti-Vivisection Society (IAVS) . . . accused the RCSI of ‘offshoring’ the experiments, which it claims would not have been allowed in the EU because it believes they would not have passed the harm-benefit ethical evaluation required in this jurisdiction.” Full Story →
Peter Singer Talks Animal Ethics and Scientific Research
Petra Stock, 10/22/2023
Renowned philosopher and professor of bioethics Peter Singer is weighing in on animal research. “There’s a very substantial portion of the research that is done on animals that is not for urgent lifesaving conditions and would not be justified if we were to consider the interests of the animals in a serious and significant way . . . They really take place because the animals become tools for research.”
“There are in a way two different kinds of vested interests. One is the scientists who’ve been trained to do work with animals and don’t really know any other way of doing things . . . But the larger financial interest and that’s perhaps particularly in the United States, is the very large companies that are supplying animals for laboratories. Charles River Breeding Laboratories is one of the world’s largest, perhaps the world’s largest, and it funds lobbyists in US Congress and organizations that address the public and try to persuade them of the urgent necessity for doing animal research . . . there’s certainly vested interests.” Full Story →
How a Legal Battle Over LSU’s Animal Testing Could End Up at the Louisiana Supreme Court
Matt Bruce, 10/25/2023
“For years, a leading animal advocacy group has been at odds with LSU over experiments conducted on birds fluttering around the Baton Rouge campus. [PETA] sued the school in 2020 over lab records from a researcher’s testing on hundreds of house sparrows and European starlings. Now the Louisiana Supreme Court could weigh in on a case that raises the question of when data from animal research should be publicly available.”
“LSU seeks to challenge a ruling last month from the 1st Circuit Court of Appeal ordering the university to give PETA animal care records and videos from experiments . . . Court officials on Tuesday confirmed that the university filed a writ Friday asking the state’s high court to review the Sept. 19 judgment.”
“Judge Wilson Fields, of the 19th Judicial District, ruled in PETA’s favor in June and ordered LSU to hand over all the requested records. The university appealed his decision to the 1st Circuit, which upheld most of the trial court’s judgment . . . According to the ruling, [Assistant Professor Christine Lattin] testified that releasing all the video footage from her lab could have a devastating effect on her future research.” Full Story →
Kindness Ranch Animal Sanctuary Transforms Lives of Animals Previously Used in Laboratory Research
Quinn White, 10/22/2023
“ . . . Kindness Ranch is home to hundreds of animals rescued from laboratory facilities. The sanctuary is the only facility of its kind in the country to take in animals previously used for clinical testing and research.”
“Through rehabilitation and compassion, dogs, cats, and rabbits are able to find forever homes with loving families. The livestock here live out the rest of their lives on the ranch with the freedom to roam and an opportunity to finally live in peace.” Full Story →
“Marshall”-ing Community Opposition to Animal Research
Rise for Animals, 10/18/2023
Billboards we erected on busy roadways in Rochester, NY tease travelers to discover the truth about secretive, dark things that are happening right within their community: Located less than an hour outside of Rochester, Marshall BioResources breeds and warehouses thousands and thousands of dogs before selling them to laboratories all around the country. Full Story →