People for the Ethical
Treatment of Animals (PETA)
November 2016
Without anesthesia, they are restrained and large volumes of blood are
drawn from a vein in the neck—up to 15 percent of their blood at a time,
which can be as much as 2 gallons—and they are subjected to this abuse over
and over again.
And it's not just the bleeding that they are forced to endure. A series of
recent inspections of the facilities where these animals are kept uncovered
terrible living conditions. Many suffered from anemia, diseased hooves, eye
abnormalities, infections, parasites, and malnutrition and lived in crowded,
filthy enclosures without adequate veterinary care.
Sign an online petition - Close Cruel Equine-Serum Facilities
Video available on Youtube.
In 2015, veterinarians and a scientist from PETA India and other groups
were authorised by the Animal Welfare Board of India to inspect 10
facilities that produce antitoxins and antivenins.
With the exception of one that outsources its work, all the facilities
extract large volumes of blood from horses, donkeys,or mules. The inspectors
observed many animals suffering from anaemia, bleeding and infected wounds,
and other serious health problems.
Inspectors documented numerous apparent violations of laws and
guidelines. Most of the facilities were not even registered with the
Committee for the Purpose of Control and Supervision of Experiments on
Animals (CPCSEA) to conduct these procedures on animals. Pregnant mares and
foals were found at some of the facilities that were not officially
registered as breeders.
The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, requires people who are
responsible for animals to take all reasonable measures to ensure their
well-being and to prevent unnecessary pain or suffering.
But inspectors found that the animals in these facilities suffered from
health problems and were fearful and anxious. When approached by humans,
many of them struggled to get away. Common physical problems included
diseased hooves, malnourishment, infections, parasites, swollen limbs,
abnormal gaits, and eye abnormalities such as blindness. Basic husbandry
procedures such asdental care and hoof trimming appeared to be ignored, and
improper tools were used for grooming.
The facilities often used painfully large needles in order to collect blood
more quickly.
The CPCSEA guidelines state that horses and other equines need sand
baths, daily exercise, daily grooming, the opportunity to socialise, open
fields for grazing, and clean bedding for respite from hard concrete floors.
But the animals at these facilities were typically kept in crowded, barren
paddocks and often tied with ropes that severely limited their movement.Many
were forced to stand and lie in their own urine and faeces, and some
suffered from "capped elbow", a painful inflammation and swelling of the
joint caused by lying on hard floors.
You can help prevent horses, mules, and donkeys from being abused and
exploited by urging the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change
and theCPCSEA to deny or cancel the companies' animal-experimentation
registration renewals and immediately revoke their licences to manufacture
biological products.Please also urge the Ministry of Science and Technology
and the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare to transition to non-animal
methods of antitoxin and antivenin production.
GOOD NEWS:
Antitoxins have been manufactured this way for more than 100 years, but
there is a better way.
The Consortium is providing €134,000 (roughly $144,000) to experts at the
Institute of Biochemistry, Biotechnology, and Bioinformatics at the
Technische Universität Braunschweig in Germany. This funding will support
the creation of antitoxins that will be able to block the poisonous toxin
that causes diphtheria, a serious illness that can result in difficulty
breathing and severe damage to the kidneys, nervous system, and heart. And
the best part is that they will be manufactured in the laboratory, without
harming a single horse.
This is good news for humans, too. Antitoxins made from horse blood don't
last very long and can cause illness in humans, but both problems will be
avoided by making antitoxins in the laboratory.
Thank you for everything you do for animals!
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