NEWS UPDATE, November 9, 2017: Monkey lab staff say horror tests worthless as results faked to please managers
Original posting:
Jane Goodall said the abuse uncovered by Cruelty Free International and SOKO Tierschutz is 'the worst she's seen'.
There are proven alternatives for toxicity testing that are more reliable to provide information about the effects of toxic substances on human beings: Alternatives to Animal Testing, Experimentation and Dissection
[Images are screen shots from the video that can be seen HERE.]
Cruelty Free International, working with SOKO Tierschutz, filmed multiple incidences of extreme suffering, including 'monkeys restrained in barbaric devices' and 'dogs left to suffer when it was clear that they were very ill and even dying' at Laboratory of Pharmacology and Toxicology (LPT) in Germany.
Following dousing with a test substance, blood was taken up to 13 times
from each cat’s forelegs over a ten-hour period.
LPT, a family-owned contract-testing laboratory, carries out toxicity
testing for global pharmaceutical, industrial and agrochemical companies.
This includes poisoning animals to see how much of a chemical or drug it
takes to cause serious harm, in an attempt to measure what a 'safe' dose for
humans might be.
'Worst abuse'
Speaking about the investigation, Dr Jane Goodall DBE, Founder of the Jane
Goodall Institute and UN Messenger of Peace, said:
"The footage shows some of the worst abuse I've ever seen on testing with
animals.
"Some of the monkeys were lying huddled on the wire floor of their tiny
prisons, while others showed stereotypic behavior, turning in circles,
pacing fast, back and forth indicative of extremely high levels of stress.
Some cowered at the approach of a human showing pronounced fear response and
sometimes screaming.
"Each monkey had a metal collar around the neck. Some shots showed monkeys
forced to stand upright, legs tied together, and arms outstretched,
virtually crucified. One shot showed a monkey's mouth being forced open
while a tube was pushed down into the stomach and liquid injected into the
tube."
Systematic abuse
She added:
"The overall impression left by this film footage suggests that
their treatment means nothing less than systematic abuse for these animals.
The footage has not been made in a small, obscure enterprise operating, far
away from any legal regulations, in a remote corner of the world.
"The LPT Laboratory of Pharmacology and Toxicology GmbH & Co. KG works
within one of the leading and most wealthy member states of the European
Union. LPT presents itself as an 'excellent and experienced partner in the
area of contract research in accordance with national and international
guidelines'.
"In summary, what I have seen in this video is some of the most callous,
inhumane, and brutal behavior by humans towards the primates, dogs, and cats
kept at this laboratory. It is nothing but living hell. Such a situation
does not belong in the 21st century and must be stopped.
"No more invasive biomedical testing should be performed on sentient and
complex animals like primates, dogs and cats. Even rats have been proved
highly intelligent and capable of feeling fear and pain. Animals can't talk
for themselves, so we need to be their voices and bring their plight out
into the daylight."
Urgent review
Addressing Dr. Goodall's comments, Michelle Thew
CEO of Cruelty Free International said: "No-one is more respected than Jane in
the world of animal protection. We are of course delighted that with all her
experience and knowledge, Jane has spoken out for the animals suffering at
LPT.
"We hope that the authorities will take notice and act now to both close
this particular facility and urgently review toxicity testing on animals in
Germany and in the European Union as a whole."
'Appalling levels of suffering'
Cruelty Free International's Director of Science, Dr. Katy Taylor, added:
"We, and millions of concerned people from within Germany and across the
world, believe this laboratory must close.
"The breaches in legislation, the appalling levels of suffering, the
cruelty, the poor conditions, and practices resulting in further animal
suffering are unacceptable.
"We, therefore, call on the Lower Saxony Ministry of Agriculture to close
this laboratory and to immediately instigate a rehoming strategy for the
animals held there, that will provide a secure and better future for all of
them."
Demonstration
According to reports, local authorities will be suspending new animal
studies and reviewing existing experiments at LPT. Cruelty Free
International and SOKO Tierschutz believe this does not go far enough and
are calling for LTP to lose its authorization to carry out animal tests and
the closure of the facility.
More than 8,000 people attended a peaceful demonstration at the weekend, one
of the largest of its type in Germany, to call on the authorities to close
LPT immediately.
More than 43,000 people have contacted the European Commission urging a
fundamental review of toxicity testing on animals in the European Union.
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