Laboratory puppies and kittens may be clubbed to death instead of being ‘put to sleep’ under new EU law
By FIONA MACRAE
Puppies and kittens could be clubbed to death under new European Union regulations on the welfare of laboratory animals. Currently, newborn puppies, kittens, ferrets and fox cubs which are not needed for scientific research are put to sleep. But rules due to become law in the UK by 2013 sanction killing by a ‘percussive blow to the head’.
Animal welfare charities have described the technique as ‘officially sanctioned cruelty’.
And they have accused the Government of bowing to the wishes of drug companies anxious to cut costs.
The directive aims to harmonise standards on labs around the EU. Britain has the option of keeping its own higher welfare standards but shows no sign of doing so.
In a consultation document, the Home Office says that clubbing is likely be to humane – but public perception ‘may be (very) poor’.
Dan Lyons of campaign group Uncaged, which brought to light the plans, said: ‘The Home Office could have said, “We are not going to introduce it, we are going to retain current methods”.
‘Instead, they have opened the door to it.
‘The barbaric methods of the Canadian seal hunt are poised to arrive in British labs and breeding establishments.
‘The only thing the Government appears to care about is “poor public perception”, with no concern for the animals.
‘It reflects a deeply disturbing lack of basic morals, ethics and compassion.’ The proposal covers very young dogs, kittens, ferrets and foxes, many of which are likely to have been bred specifically for use in experiments only to be killed because they are surplus to requirements.
In other cases, the mother animal may have been used for drug or other testing while the young were still in the womb.
Dr Lyons, one of Britain’s leading experts on animal research policy, said that while universities and pharmaceutical companies will still have the option of putting the creatures to sleep, some may see clubbing as quicker and cheaper.
He said: ‘It is one of the most extreme forms of officially sanctioned cruelty I have ever come across.’
The RSPCA says that following the directive would leave some animals in chronic severe pain, suffering or distress, as well as allowing inhumane killing.
Dr Maggy Jennings, who heads the charity’s work on research animals, said: ‘Successive governments have made proud claims that the UK has “the highest standards in the world” for animal research and testing.
‘Now they seem prepared to weaken this legislation and take a step backwards on lab animal welfare.
‘We urge the Government to respect public concern on this issue and, at the very least, maintain the level of regulation that we currently have.’
‘If they don’t, animal welfare, public confidence and ultimately UK science will suffer.’ Understanding Medical Research, a group representing researchers, universities, drug companies and funding bodies, backed the animal welfare groups’ calls for the current methods of killing to be kept.
The legislation could also lead to the number of inspections of labs being cut from 2,000 a year to just 80 and to animals being housed in smaller cages.
Public consultation on the proposals closes on Monday.
Some 3.7million animal experiments were carried out in British labs last year – a one million rise on a decade earlier.
The bulk of the experiments involved mice, followed by fish, rats and birds.
Environmental changes can trigger harmless microorganisms to mutate, proliferate, and even evolve into more harmful varieties (pathogens). Environmental changes associated with the planting of herbicide-resistant, genetically modified corn, soybean, sugar beet and alfalfa, and with the repeated applications of the herbicide glyphosate (Monsanto’s Roundup) affecting soil microorganisms, crop-nutrient uptake and disease resistance, may have created a new pathogen.
According to Dr. Don Huber, professor emeritus at Purdue University, this harmful organism, hitherto unknown to science, found in abundance in GM soybean meal and corn products, is linked to infertility, abortions and other health problems in a wide variety of livestock, and to sudden-death syndrome in soy and Goss’s wilt in corn. For details, see the posting on my website at www.twobitdog.com/drFox/ and my interview with Dr. Huber in Acres USA magazine, May 2011.
Glyphosate-based herbicides, residues of which are in foods, have been shown to cause birth defects in laboratory animal tests, and many widely used agricultural pesticides are hormone disruptors causing infertility, abnormal genitalia and feminization, and could play a significant role in the genesis of various cancers.
Lawn herbicides, which should be banned, are linked to lymphatic cancer in exposed dogs. These agrichemicals may also play a role in honeybee-colony collapse, which is becoming a global epidemic and could mean ecological devastation and food shortages because one-third of our food crops need to be pollinated by insects.
My advice to consumers and pet owners in particular, pending further research and full government safety assurances, is to avoid all corn-and soy-containing consumables unless organically certified.
Cats need to play, no mater how young or how old they are, they need to have some toys in order to stay entertained. Cats love all kinds of different toys and just like people each cat with have his or her own special preferences. Some of the best cat toys are affordable, some are even things that you have around the house already. Just remember to make sure that all of your cat’s toys are safe, that they have no sharp edges for your kitty to cut itself on.
Here are the top cat toys:
Balls
There is not a cat on the planet that will not go crazy for a little ball, especially one that makes noise while it is rolling around the room. Cats love to play with balls, ones that the cats can pick up and carry around are definite favorites. And check out the hollow ones that treats fit into, these are always fun for a kitty.
Lasers
Laser toys are great because you can interact with your kitty without worrying about getting mauled to death. It is always fun to find toys that you and your cat can play with together. These have a long range and you can really get your cat exercising and having fun with these.
Toys that you already own
There are all kinds of things that you already own that make for perfect cat toys, you just don’t know it yet. You probably drink milk, if you get the big jugs you are familiar with the little pull tabs that come off before you can take the cap off. These are a favorite cat toys, my cats play with these for hours on end.
Another favorite toy that you can get for practically nothing is a pipe cleaner. These cost pennies and they will last forever. They do not break so they can literally last for months on end.
They key to keeping your cat happy with cat toys is to change them from time to time. This does not mean that you have to buy all new toys every couple of weeks, just rotate the toys that you have out and about. Each week change the toys in order to keep things fun and fresh for your cats.
Puppies and kittens could be clubbed to death under new European Union regulations on the welfare of laboratory animals. Currently, newborn puppies, kittens, ferrets and fox cubs which are not needed for scientific research are put to sleep. But rules due to become law in the UK by 2013 sanction killing by a ‘percussive blow to the head’.
