Understanding Animal Research

A number of people have signed up to the Declaration of Openness in Animal Research, which sent out an agenda for openness and transparency. Maybe you want to have a read about or have a say about something related to our furry friends. You can do this a www.understandinganimalresearch.org.uk

In the US you regularly see animal experiments on the news and public enragement is directed at other issues like abortion. In the UK, as a nation of cat and dog lovers animal experiments is a much more emotive issue and animal experimentation is about the most regulated in the World.

Can you remember the ugly mouse with the ear in its back.
It made it on the TV around the world..in the US no big shakes....but in the UK abject horror was the public reaction.
In the 1970s and 1980s there were militants sending letter bombs to people in the UK working with animals. Therefore, few people would stick their head above the parapet and people are still very cautious. 

I know a person who had to use a mirror to check under their car for bombs every day and also someone who was targeted where the militants smeared their reputation with the neighbours-nothing to do with animals but something rather sick-minded. Others particularly the prominent scientists working with non-human primates or cats/dogs have had regular death threats. 

Can you remember the undercover reporter who exposed some militant bombers, who was later tracked down, branded and scarred for life on their back, by these people. All in the name of our furry friends

Now the UK government say they want us to be open about animal work, given the history would you?

The Government claim they have targeted the few militants to cut their income stream and prosecute them and now they want us to be more open about animal experiments and want us to talk to the media.

Once you talk unless you do it live, then you have no control of the cuts and where that film will re-appear.

There is a survey about transparency ending today at 5pm GMT. Why not spend 10-15 minutes and have your say (click here).

If you work with animals I really would suggest you do this, because even if you don't have your say, universities are signing up, actually they have signed up to this initiative so the results of the survey could be coming your way. 

These initiatives often start in the UK but then spread particularly to the EU. Opinions are opinions where  ever they come from. 


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