Changing How We Treat NonHuman Animals

Laboratory Animals

At this moment the EU is revising Europe’s 20 year old legislation which governs animal experiments (Directive 86/609/EEC).   The EU Directive governing animal experiments is being written now.  Laws reflect the values of a society, add your voice and help create laws which reflect a society where all species are treated as sacred.  
  
As the UK and the wider EU become more closely aligned, laws across Europe affect how laboratory animals are treated in the UK.   This is a huge and short lived opportunity to put pressure on governments across Europe, to increase action on replacing animal experiments with non-animal techniques.

Dr Hadwen Trust (http://www.drhadwentrust.org.uk/) has launched a massive pan-European petition calling on the European Union to increase action on replacing animal experiments with non-animal techniques.  The petition is timed in response to the revision of Directive 86/609/EEC, Europe's 20 year old legislation governing animal experiments.  This is being supported by leading animal protection organisations across Europe including Croatia, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and the UK.  In the UK the petition is also being supported by Advocates for Animals, Animal Aid, Europeans for Medical Progress, People for the Treatment of Animals and Uncaged.  Signatures are being collected in 11 European languages, making this one of the biggest pan-European pro-animal petition launches of its kind. 
 
How do you feel about using animals in medical research?  Is it a necessary evil? Or an old fashioned, ineffective habit?  Right now is the time to decide, because this rare opportunity to change the system is happening right now.  The EU revision of Directive 86/609/EEC, Europe's 20 year old legislation governing animal experiments is currently being written. 

If you want to sign the petition, to ask the European Union to commit to meaningful action to replace animal experiments please click the link below.  This revision of the EU’s animal research legislation offers an unprecedented opportunity for change. European legislators have it in their power to put non-animal replacements at the heart of Europe’s research agenda, committing to targeted action and massively increased efforts.  We can make them do this!

Click http://www.endeuanimaltests.org/ and use the 'email a friend' facility to forward the petition to other interested parties. There's also a PDF to print off hard copies to post to your local MP.  Click this link  http://www.upmystreet.com/commons/l/ to find your local MP.

Animal Welfare in England

Over time society has shown increasing concern for the welfare of animals.  This concern has been reflected by successive governments in legislation.  In the 19th century the UK was the progenitor of welfare legislation.   The UK government is currently developing an ‘Animal Welfare Delivery Strategy’ which sets out in what the welfare priorities should be and how animal welfare should be delivered in the future.

The Delivery Strategy applies to all vertebrate animals for which humans have responsibility or over which they have control.  Specifically, it covers:

 

  • farm animals (including farmed fish)
  • animals used for entertainment and recreation
  • companion animals
  • animals used in sport (whilst under the control of humans whether on a permanent or temporary basis)
  • working animals
  • animals of a kind that are commonly domesticated that are living in the wild
  • wild animals, when under the control of humans

It does not cover:

  • wild animals, when not under the control of humans
  • animals involved in the normal course of fishing
  • animals used in research

We have until 20 February 2007 to comment on the draft delivery plan.  After that time opportunity to change and improve it is over.  Its priorities will become the animal welfare laws of the future and effect hundreds of 1000s of animals bred, farmed and used in this country. 

The document asks 13 simple questions.  Each one gives us the chance to say what is important and how it could be achieved.  This is how government policy on animal welfare is decided.  All comments made are taken into account.  

So please act, read the short draft strategy
http://www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/consult/awelfare-strategy/aws-consultation.pdf

Then answer the questions http://www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/consult/awelfare-strategy/consult-questions.pdf

Submit your answers electronically to this email address: awdelivery.mailbox [at] defra [dot] gsi [dot] gov [dot] uk indicating clearly to which questions answers relate.  Printed responses should be received by 20 February 2007and can be posted to:

Welfare Delivery Strategy Team
DEFRA
Area 511
1A Page Street
London
SW1P 4PQ

It would be helpful if you could state your name, whether you are replying as an individual or on behalf of an organisation (in which case please also name the organisation, and indicate whether or not you have consulted members on the response, and whether there was a significant minority opinion that differed from the majority view expressed here), and your specific welfare interest, if applicable.

For more information see http://www.info4local.gov.uk/documents/consultations/31163

Thank you  /|\