Openness in animal research news

Posted: by UAR News on 19/03/14

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Defences come down as animal testers dare to say they’re proud

This was the title of the article written by Tom Whipple in The Times after visited the Harlan Beagle Breeding facility near Huntingdon. He watches as 3-week old beagles are taught to sit, stand and offer a paw. As their training progresses they are taught to offer their jugular for a blood sample.

Once upon a time, breeders like these would be in full lockdown to anyone not involved for fear of extremist reprisal.The fact a journalist has been invited in to see the breeding day for these dogs shows how there is a changing culture - both thanks to a huge fall in animal rights extremism and a more transparent approach to outreach.

Steve Owen, chairman of the Institute of Animal Technology, is less reticent, even though he works with an even more controversial group of research animals: primates. “I love them,” he said. “When you work on a monkey study for two years, you really get to know them. And at the end, I prefer it is me that puts them down. Then they are calmer." http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/science/article4034652.ece (article behind paywall)

Also on Sunday, the BBC1 programme Big Questions posed the question, is Animal Testing ever justified? Prof Paul Flecknell from Newcastle and Tom Holder from UAR argued with representatives from PETA and BUAV. This section of the programme starts after around 20.40 minutes into the programme.

Last edited: 20 September 2023 10:14

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