Unseen they suffer
Unheard they cry
  In agony they linger
  In loneliness they die 

 

Animal experimentation involves indefinitely caging animals - which itself causes intense psychological distress -  who are then poisoned, mutilated, given diseases and killed.  Other terms for animal experimentation include 'vivisection', 'animal testing', and 'animal research' Often when we get asked about vivisection, the majority of people think it involves rabbits, mice and rats. Not true! Almost EVERY kind of animal you can think of is used in some way or another, including farm animals, primates, cats, dogs and even fish! Over 4 million animals are used in research every year in Australia alone.

                                                   The three main types of animal testing

1. Product testing—animals are used to test the safety of products for eating and drinking. This also includes cosmetic testing, such as makeup, shampoos, soaps etc.
2. Research—tests are performed for advancements in medicine and science, such as experiments with new drugs.
3. Education and training—these tests range from a high school dissection of a frog to training medical students at Uni.
 In 1959 British researchers Russell and R. Burch created the ‘three R’s:

·    Replacement—to totally or partially replace the use of animals with non-living materials

·    Reduction—to reduce the number of animals used to obtain the information needed by researchers

·    Refinement—to decrease the pain and suffering of procedures to animals that still have to be used.

      
Applying the three R’s in laboratories in Australia is a requirement outlined in the Code of Practice. If it is adhered to is another matter.

 

                                                          What you can do to help 
Join AAHR- The Australian Association for Humane Research Inc. has campaigned tirelessly against animal experiments  since 1979.

Check out their website here for heaps more facts and info. We also have their video - Animal Experimentation – a Necessary Evil?  available for sale on our website.

                          Buy Cruelty-Free

 

 When purchasing cosmetics and household products, choose those which have not been tested on animals. Not only will you be withdrawing your financial support from companies which continue to conduct cruel product testing, but you will also be supporting those ethical companies that are proving that it is unnecessary.

                  For a list of ‘Preferred Products', visit the Choose Cruelty Free website

 

                                         Refuse to donate to animal-based research

 

 When you make a donation to a health charity, check first whether your money will be likely to go toward medical research on animals.                          

There are medical charities that do not fund animal experiments. By supporting those on the Humane Charities list, you will be redirecting vital funding towards health charities who recognise that real medical progress can only be made through studying our own species and abandoning the use of animal experiments.

Check this list of Humane Charities to discover which do NOT use animals    

www.humanecharities.org.au

                                     

Peta have made an excellent video titled 'testing 1, 2, 3' watch it here

There are some people who feel so strongly about vivisection that they are part of a world wide group called The Animal Liberation Front. 
                                                        

The Animal Liberation Front (ALF) is a name used internationally by animal liberation  activists who engage in direct action  on behalf of animals. This includes removing animals from laboratories or fur farms, and sabotaging facilities involved in animal testing and other animal-based industries.   According to ALF statements, any direct action that furthers the cause of animal liberation, where all reasonable precautions are taken not to endanger life, may be claimed as an ALF action.

We have for sale on our site the documentary 'Behind the Mask' which shows the ALF in action. Here is the trailer from the film, please watch it or even better buy the film! These brave men and women put their lives and freedom on the line to help animals.

            Let’s leave the last word on this subject to Dr. Christian Barnard, surgeon who wrote the following:

"I had bought two male chimps from a primate colony in Holland.
They lived next to each other in separate cages for several months
before I used one as a [heart] donor.
When we put him to sleep in his cage in preparation for the operation,
he chattered and cried incessantly.
We attached no significance to this,
but it must have made a great impression on his companion,
for when we removed the body to the operating room,
the other chimp wept bitterly and was inconsolable for days.
The incident made a deep impression on me.
I vowed never again to experiment with such sensitive creatures."