Animals in laboratories
So many people turned up, the majority of people had either made signs, had leaflets to hand or even dressed up in lab coats stained in blood.
This was the first big protest I had been on and I felt quite emotional at times, it was such an intense day where fellow animal right activists were shouting the same heart felt chants to the city of Birmingham.
Animal testing can be a very touchy subject, of course this is understandable.
We all know someone who has had to suffer through awful diseases such as cancer or heart disease, and like everyone else I wish that did not have to happen, but how is it right to push all that pain, terror and torture onto innocent, voiceless and helpless beings?
To disagree and speak out about animal testing does not mean we do not want progression to be made, for people to get better or for scientific research to continue.
Of course we want to find a cure for cancer, heart disease, dementia or any other disease.
I myself have lost family and friends to these horrible diseases, but I genuinely believe there are better ways to conduct medical research, other ways which do not make humanity worse monsters than the diseases we are fighting against.
Why is animal testing such a bad thing?
If you asked 20 random people on the street I bet you they could not guess the number of animals used for research in the UK in 2016.
In 2016 alone there were just under 4 million terrified souls tested on. I know the majority of people think it is only mice and rats which are used in research, but you would be surprised. Firstly, it does not matter on the size or preconception of the animal, as rats are one of the most commonly used and yet they are extremely intelligent and social beings. Secondly, researchers test on many other animals including dogs, monkeys, rabbits and cats.
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| I have had many pet rats and each one had their own personality. They are so friendly, so inquisitive, clever, loving and social. It breaks my heart to know that each and every day many of these beautiful creatures are in unimaginable pain and sadness. This was Roy Mustang, he was a friggin legend, just like all my other rat babes too. xxx |
Animals aren't only used for the research of medical diseases, they are also abused and murdered for the sake of cosmetics, food tests, chemical testing and pure sickening scientific curiosity.
To understand how cruelly these animals are treated you must watch footage which is widely available You tube and other online websites.
See a video here from Cruelty Free International - https://youtu.be/FVtHxE7Nnsg
It is too horrific to even imagine some of the things these so called scientists do to such defenceless animals. They are often starved, hidden from light, mutilated, blinded, gassed, have pieces of their brains cut out, bolts shoved into their heads, heads cut off, smoke inhalation, poisoned, burnt, and too many other barbaric things to list.
As well as the horrendous experiments that take place it is known that the general care of the animals is beyond disgusting, as many have been left to starve and/or simply drown in their own faeces. Many of these animals also die from stress or shock, partly due to witnessing other animals being tested on and knowing they will have to endure the same.
There are plenty of arguments against animal testing, the tests are often inclusive or give completely inaccurate information, after all why would we think that curing cancerous cells in mice would work in humans. It is known that animal experiments are not only torturous but often very expensive, hugely time consuming and completely misleading therefore producing many side effects and mistakes often resulting in human deaths.
The alternatives to animal testing are things such as cell cultures, computer models, human tissues and many more. See some examples here: https://www.animalfreeresearchuk.org/animal-replacement/
I know this it is not a clear cut situation. I cannot blame anyone for taking medication which is tested on animals, what choice do we have when we are poorly? But unless we speak out about these issues and support alternative charities then nothing will ever change.
What can we do to make a change?
First things first, buy cruelty free cosmetics and household products, look for the leaping bunny symbol. There is no need to buy products tested on animals, there are many more options out there.
The next time you take part in a Wolf Run or charity bake off please think about raising money for a kinder charity, one which does not support animal testing.
Spread the word, follow non-animal testing charities on Facebook, make your own charity event at work or with family and friends, stop giving your £5 a month to Cancer Research UK, make a group at university to stop the in house testing on animals, request for a collection tin to be put at your work place...the list goes on.
My main advice would be to stop supporting the huge "charities" such as the British Heart Foundation and Cancer Research UK, as the top dogs who work for these charities only care about one thing, and it is not curing your loved ones...it is their pay packet at the end of the month.
Not only do they waste millions of pounds of public money each year, they avoid the truth, they do not care about prevention of diseases only our money in which to attempt a fake version of finding cures.
(Another thing...another subject/debate? Go Vegan, you may just reduce your risk of becoming seriously ill, but this is something you won't hear Cancer Research UK suggest, why ever not?)
See below just a few websites to check out, please have a look and read the information from experts, not just a random blog from little me over here!:
Cruelty Free International - https://www.crueltyfreeinternational.org/
Animal Aid - https://www.animalaid.org.uk/
Animal Justice Project - http://animaljusticeproject.com/
Animal Free Research UK - http://www.animalfreeresearchuk.org/
British Heartless Foundation - https://www.britishheartlessfoundation.co.uk/
Thank you for reading this, I promise to write a happier blog post next! But this suffering needs to end and the only way that can happen is if people speak up, educate and think with compassion.
See a few snaps I took from the march back in April...
:) xxx
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