Animal testing – cutting animals, deliberately poisoning them, pouring acids into their eyes: all without anesthetic, is a rather accurate definition. You may think the world depends on animal experimentation to find cures for cancer and AIDs, but this is very untrue. In fact, animal testing is quite unreliable. Think of a human’s internal body. Now think of, say, a rat’s internal body. Are they the same? No. A rat (a popular animal used in vivisection) is likely to react differently to a certain substance than how a human would react.
There are alternatives to animal testing such as using artificial organs and systems, using computer models, growing cells or tissues in test tubes and testing them or studying post-mortem tissues. Organisations such as the British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection and National Anti-Vivisection Society are dedicated campaigners for the end of animal abuse, or testing as it is more commonly know as.
British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection
BUAV
You may be appauled to know that some of your favourite charities test on animals.
British Heart Foundation: 'Researchers cut open the chests of beagles and narrowed the arteries around their hearts in an attempt to mimic the symptoms of angina. At the end of the experiment, the dogs were bled to death' - BUAV
Action Research: 'Scientists cut open the necks of rats and crushed their spinal cords. Plastic tubes were then inserted from the spinal cord to outside of the body so that drugs could be administered directly to their damaged cord. Afterwards the rats were subjected to a series of behavioural tests.' - BUAV
Other charities that are responsible for miserable experiments on animals are:
Arthritis Research Campaign,
Diabetes UK
Parkinson's Disease Society.
You can request a full list of charities that are involved in testing on animals from the BUAV. It is free, but you have to be a member. Visit their website for membership details.
Companies who DO NOT TEST THEIR PRODUCTS ON ANIMALS:
Copy and paste this into your URL bar: http://www.peta.org/mall/cc/ccdonttest1.html for a complete list.
Companies that DO TEST THEIR PRODUCTS ON ANIMALS:
Copy and paste this into your URL bar: http://www.peta.org/mall/cc/cctest.html
National Anti-Vivisection Society
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