Long time APLNJ member Cynthia Radnitz, Ph.D., wrote the following article published by the Journal of Critical Animal Studies, May 2014. We found the article very interesting and thought you would too.
Angi Metler, director
APLNJ
Applying the Argument from Marginal Cases to the Protection of Animal Subjects in Research: A Blueprint for Studying Nonhuman Animals in a Post-vivisection World
 Author: Cynthia Radnitz
Title: Professor
Affiliation: Fairleigh Dickinson University
Abstract
Although experimentation on nonhuman animals for both research and product testing continues, there are some signs that we are on a trajectory toward abolition of animal model research due to the combined effects of pressure from animal activists, changing public attitudes toward animal research, improved replacement technologies for both scientific investigation and product testing, and the expense of purchasing, housing and studying animals. Nonetheless, just as we study humans, we may still be interested in studying animals using research paradigms that protect their rights. By applying the Argument from Marginal Cases to animal research guidelines, a plan is presented for shifting toward ensuring the rights of animals by affording them the same status for consideration in research studies as that given to two groups of humans classified as "vulnerable" in laws governing human subjects research, specifically young children and individuals with cognitive impairments. In doing so, we propose the idea of animal assent as an additional layer of protection so that animal research participants are adequately safeguarded.
Link to full article is here. Go to page 51.
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Sunday, September 7, 2014
A Blueprint for Studying Nonhuman Animals in a Post-vivisection World
Monday, March 12, 2012
GOOD NEWS: Research Halted at Harvard Medical School's Primate Research Center
Thanks to Stop Animal Exploitation NOW! http://www.all-creatures.org/saen/
Full Story, with diagrams and charts: http://www.telegram.com/article/20120301/NEWS/103019866/1101/local
New research halted after another monkey death at primate center in Southboro
By Elaine Thomson, Telegram.com, Thursday, March 1, 2012
SOUTHBORO — Two months after a monkey died of dehydration at Harvard Medical School's New England Primate Research Center another one died Sunday of similar circumstances, bringing the total to four questionable monkey deaths at the facility since June 2010.
As a result all new research at the center has been halted.
This week's death will be part of an investigation the U.S. Department of Agriculture had already undertaken to determine what, if any, penalties will be imposed on Harvard Medical School.
“Four deaths in the last 18 months or so, that's unacceptable. They know they need to do better,” USDA spokesman David Sacks said. (The USDA) “is looking at penalty actions as a result of this, but that investigation has not been completed yet. We will continue to closely monitor them and see that they right their ship ... and get back on proper footing of giving these animals humane care, which I know is what they intend to do.”
Dr. Jeffrey S. Flier, dean of the faculty of medicine at Harvard Medical School, in an email sent to the Telegram & Gazette yesterday, said new research has been stopped to allow time for personnel to create and implement a corrective action plan.
“I care deeply about this issue. The health and ethical treatment of the primates for which we are responsible are among my highest concerns. I want to assure you that the leadership of HMS will be unwavering in our commitment to providing for the welfare of these animals,” he said.
Mr. Sacks said Harvard, as with the other three deaths, self-reported the death that occurred Sunday to one of the USDA's inspectors. He said the federal Animal Welfare Act does not require research centers to report deaths partly because some animals die from natural causes and others die as a result of the research. The Animal Welfare Act, passed by Congress in 1966, requires research facilities to provide their animals with adequate care and treatment in the areas of housing, handling, sanitation, nutrition, water, veterinary care, and protection from extreme weather and temperatures.
Mr. Sacks said he is not sure of the circumstances surrounding the latest death. The Boston Globe, however, reported that a Harvard Medical School official said the elderly cotton top tamarin monkey likely died from a lack of water because it did not have a water bottle in its cage. Mr. Sacks said a USDA inspector will go to the center within the next several days.
The previous deaths occurred in June 2010, and October and December 2011. In the first incident, a monkey was found dead at the bottom of a cage washer after having gone through the washer. In October, a monkey escaped while being taken to a research procedure. It was caught, taken to the procedure and later found dead after being returned to its cage. On Dec. 26, a monkey died of dehydration after a water dispenser was not properly activated. That death was cited in a Jan. 31 USDA inspection report that also said a second monkey was dehydrated but survived. Two other non-compliances involved a monkey suffering a broken leg when the leg was caught under the drop door as it closed; and another injured its foot after it and several other monkeys were able to open the cage that was not properly secured and get outside.
Harvard Medical School said several aggressive steps and corrective measures have been put in place since last summer, including the creation of a quality control unit as a safety net, increased oversight at all levels, staff retraining, implementation of new systems and system redundancies, and MRI testing to improve monitoring and reporting. In September, a new director, interim associate director for administration and veterinary leadership were also brought on board at the research center.
Dr. Flier said the school will build upon those measures.
“I am personally marshaling all necessary resources to confront and resolve the systems, processes and human errors that appear to underlie the recent problems,” he said.
The additional corrective measures include the establishment of another oversight team of veterinary staff and supervisors who will perform additional daily rounds to verify the health and wellness of every animal at the center. The school is also assembling an independent review committee of external prominent experts to assess the primate's center's operations and to help develop a strategy to ensure similar problems don't occur. Co-reporting lines have also been established. The center's director and associate director are now required to report to senior leadership at the medical school, Dr. Flier noted.
Michael Budkie, spokesman for the Ohio-based watchdog group Stop Animal Exploitation Now, said he thinks even more needs to be done. He said the USDA should impose a fine on Harvard Medical School. He said that since 1986 when he started as an animal rights activist, he has never seen a research facility that has had as many negligent deaths of animals in such a short period of time. Harvard has received official warnings in the past, but to his knowledge, never a fine. He said that the National Institutes of Health, which provides the center with research grants, should also be involved in the investigation.
The New England Primate Research Center was established by Congress in 1962 and is one of eight regional primate centers in the country. The sprawling campus, tucked away in the woods from view of passers-by, is on 89 acres in Southboro and 42 acres in neighboring Marlboro, off Parmenter Road near Callahan State Park. According to its website, the center is a leader in primate biomedical research and has provided scientific resources and services to investigators throughout the world.
Dr. Flier said the center's mission is to eradicate disease. Key discoveries enabled by the center have contributed to the understanding of HIV/AIDS, colon cancer, sickle cell anemia, herpes virus, inflammatory bowel disease and Parkinson's disease among other disorders, he said.
Full Story, with diagrams and charts: http://www.telegram.com/article/20120301/NEWS/103019866/1101/local
New research halted after another monkey death at primate center in Southboro
By Elaine Thomson, Telegram.com, Thursday, March 1, 2012
SOUTHBORO — Two months after a monkey died of dehydration at Harvard Medical School's New England Primate Research Center another one died Sunday of similar circumstances, bringing the total to four questionable monkey deaths at the facility since June 2010.
As a result all new research at the center has been halted.
This week's death will be part of an investigation the U.S. Department of Agriculture had already undertaken to determine what, if any, penalties will be imposed on Harvard Medical School.
“Four deaths in the last 18 months or so, that's unacceptable. They know they need to do better,” USDA spokesman David Sacks said. (The USDA) “is looking at penalty actions as a result of this, but that investigation has not been completed yet. We will continue to closely monitor them and see that they right their ship ... and get back on proper footing of giving these animals humane care, which I know is what they intend to do.”
Dr. Jeffrey S. Flier, dean of the faculty of medicine at Harvard Medical School, in an email sent to the Telegram & Gazette yesterday, said new research has been stopped to allow time for personnel to create and implement a corrective action plan.
“I care deeply about this issue. The health and ethical treatment of the primates for which we are responsible are among my highest concerns. I want to assure you that the leadership of HMS will be unwavering in our commitment to providing for the welfare of these animals,” he said.
Mr. Sacks said Harvard, as with the other three deaths, self-reported the death that occurred Sunday to one of the USDA's inspectors. He said the federal Animal Welfare Act does not require research centers to report deaths partly because some animals die from natural causes and others die as a result of the research. The Animal Welfare Act, passed by Congress in 1966, requires research facilities to provide their animals with adequate care and treatment in the areas of housing, handling, sanitation, nutrition, water, veterinary care, and protection from extreme weather and temperatures.
Mr. Sacks said he is not sure of the circumstances surrounding the latest death. The Boston Globe, however, reported that a Harvard Medical School official said the elderly cotton top tamarin monkey likely died from a lack of water because it did not have a water bottle in its cage. Mr. Sacks said a USDA inspector will go to the center within the next several days.
The previous deaths occurred in June 2010, and October and December 2011. In the first incident, a monkey was found dead at the bottom of a cage washer after having gone through the washer. In October, a monkey escaped while being taken to a research procedure. It was caught, taken to the procedure and later found dead after being returned to its cage. On Dec. 26, a monkey died of dehydration after a water dispenser was not properly activated. That death was cited in a Jan. 31 USDA inspection report that also said a second monkey was dehydrated but survived. Two other non-compliances involved a monkey suffering a broken leg when the leg was caught under the drop door as it closed; and another injured its foot after it and several other monkeys were able to open the cage that was not properly secured and get outside.
Harvard Medical School said several aggressive steps and corrective measures have been put in place since last summer, including the creation of a quality control unit as a safety net, increased oversight at all levels, staff retraining, implementation of new systems and system redundancies, and MRI testing to improve monitoring and reporting. In September, a new director, interim associate director for administration and veterinary leadership were also brought on board at the research center.
Dr. Flier said the school will build upon those measures.
“I am personally marshaling all necessary resources to confront and resolve the systems, processes and human errors that appear to underlie the recent problems,” he said.
The additional corrective measures include the establishment of another oversight team of veterinary staff and supervisors who will perform additional daily rounds to verify the health and wellness of every animal at the center. The school is also assembling an independent review committee of external prominent experts to assess the primate's center's operations and to help develop a strategy to ensure similar problems don't occur. Co-reporting lines have also been established. The center's director and associate director are now required to report to senior leadership at the medical school, Dr. Flier noted.
Michael Budkie, spokesman for the Ohio-based watchdog group Stop Animal Exploitation Now, said he thinks even more needs to be done. He said the USDA should impose a fine on Harvard Medical School. He said that since 1986 when he started as an animal rights activist, he has never seen a research facility that has had as many negligent deaths of animals in such a short period of time. Harvard has received official warnings in the past, but to his knowledge, never a fine. He said that the National Institutes of Health, which provides the center with research grants, should also be involved in the investigation.
The New England Primate Research Center was established by Congress in 1962 and is one of eight regional primate centers in the country. The sprawling campus, tucked away in the woods from view of passers-by, is on 89 acres in Southboro and 42 acres in neighboring Marlboro, off Parmenter Road near Callahan State Park. According to its website, the center is a leader in primate biomedical research and has provided scientific resources and services to investigators throughout the world.
Dr. Flier said the center's mission is to eradicate disease. Key discoveries enabled by the center have contributed to the understanding of HIV/AIDS, colon cancer, sickle cell anemia, herpes virus, inflammatory bowel disease and Parkinson's disease among other disorders, he said.
Friday, September 23, 2011
Princeton gets failing grades for treatment of animals in science research, study finds
http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2011/09/princeton_gets_failing_grades.html
By Bob Considine/The Star-Ledger
Two monkeys, which are part of a controlled experiment, play in their cage at the Huntingdon Life Sciences research lab in Somerset County in this file photo from April 2001.PRINCETON — Princeton University is receiving failing grades from a medical research group for its treatment of animals used by the school for scientific study.
By Bob Considine/The Star-Ledger
Two monkeys, which are part of a controlled experiment, play in their cage at the Huntingdon Life Sciences research lab in Somerset County in this file photo from April 2001.The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, a non-profit group that promotes animal rights and vegan diets, ranks Princeton as second worst among the eight Ivy League schools in adhering to minimal standards of the Animal Welfare Act.
One of the school’s greatest offenses, the group says, is "a pattern of deliberate, excessive water restriction in primates" beyond the guidelines set in Animal Welfare Act — some of which resulted in a warning from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, or APHIS, earlier this year.
"In this study, Princeton is an example of how much disregard there is for the Animal Welfare Act," said John Pippin, a cardiologist, director of academic affairs for the research group and author of the study, scheduled to be released Wednesday morning. "It’s also an example of and how little its university regulatory body really cares about saying to its own researchers, ‘You know, you really can’t do this.’"
The study, based on animal facility inspection reports by APHIS from January 2008 to July 2011, applied a score relative to violations, repeat violations and National Institutes of Health grant money.
Princeton and Yale universities tied for second-worst with a score of 49, a distance from the worst-ranked school, the University of Pennsylvania, which received a score of 120. Harvard (48), Cornell (38) and Brown (35) and Dartmouth (33) finished with lower scores — meaning higher grades — than Princeton. Columbia University (25) yielded the best results.
Princeton spokesman Martin Mbugua, said the university’s research methods meet approved protocols.
"It’s unfortunate that some groups make efforts to influence the public’s understanding about beneficial research by taking the approach of this report," he said.
Mbugua said all research involving animals is reviewed and approved by Princeton’s Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee, including the use of water scheduling as a research protocol.
In its report, the medical research group said "non-human primates were routinely forced to go more than 24 hours without water." But Mbugua said the report is misleading in its wording.
During an APHIS inspection in late January, water was found to have been removed from two cages and not returned until over 24 hours later. Mbugua said this was an isolated incident caused by an "unanticipated delay" due to a miscommunication. Measures were put in place to avoid such miscommunication again, he said.
In an inspection report, the USDA also admonished the school for not providing proper veterinary care for a pregnant marmoset that was in distress in March. The agency said the attending veterinarian was not informed of the marmoset’s condition.
In response, Mbugua said "to have a veterinarian attend the birth is not common and is not a requirement," as marmosets sometimes deliver in the middle of the night, just as they do in the wild. But he also said a formal process has been implemented so an attending veterinarian is always notified of impending births.
APHIS sent the school an official warning of Violation of Federal Regulations in May, which could have resulted in fines. Mbugua said in an inspection on June 7, APHIS concluded the school had "taken corrective actions and all of the non-compliant items that were identified have either been corrected or corrective actions are in progress."
Pippin, however, said warnings of fines are rare in APHIS correspondences with animal study programs at universities and the response to their criticism are "not just a sign of disrespect, but of arrogance."
Star-Ledger staff writer Kelly Heyboer contributed to this report.
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Follow-up on Vivisection Debate
Doris Lin attended the debate and wrote about it on her about.com Animal Rights blog, "Conversation with a Vivisector." Professor Ringach started another debate with her. Read the comments, after the article.
http://animalrights.about.com/b/2011/03/10/conversation-with-a-vivisector.htm
An attorney, Doris also holds a degree in Applied Biological Sciences from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
http://animalrights.about.com/b/2011/03/10/conversation-with-a-vivisector.htm
An attorney, Doris also holds a degree in Applied Biological Sciences from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Friday, March 25, 2011
Top 20 Most Painful Animal Labs
Michael Budkie, of Stop Animal Exploitation NOW, released a report on the top most painful labs in the United States. See the full report below. http://www.all-creatures.org/saen/articles-20110208-unrelievedpain.html
What can you do?
World Laboratory Animal Liberation Week is April 16th - 24th. Learn all you can and please get involved.
What can you do?
World Laboratory Animal Liberation Week is April 16th - 24th. Learn all you can and please get involved.
Friday, February 25, 2011
Vivisection Debate at Rutgers University - March 8 2011
Gary Francione is debating vivisection at Rutgers on March 8, and it's open to the public:
www.abolitionistapproach.com/debate-the-use-of-nonhuman-animals-in-biomedical-research-a-moral-justification/
The topic: The Use of Nonhuman Animals in Biomedical Research: A Moral Justification?
Professor Ringach will argue that we are justified in using animals in experiments; I will argue that we cannot justify animal use in this or in any other context.
The debate will take place in the Baker Trial Courtroom at Rutgers University School of Law, 123 Washington Street, Newark, New Jersey, from 6-8 p.m. Vegan refreshments will be served following the debate, which will be videotaped and made available here and on Professor Ringach’s site.
The debate will be sponsored by the Student Bar Association, the American Constitutional Society, and the Federalist Society. The debate will be moderated by John J. Farmer, Jr., Dean and Professor of Law at Rutgers University School of Law-Newark. Dean Farmer served as Attorney General of the State of New Jersey and as General Counsel of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States (commonly known as the 9/11 Commission).
www.abolitionistapproach.com/debate-the-use-of-nonhuman-animals-in-biomedical-research-a-moral-justification/
The topic: The Use of Nonhuman Animals in Biomedical Research: A Moral Justification?
Professor Ringach will argue that we are justified in using animals in experiments; I will argue that we cannot justify animal use in this or in any other context.
The debate will take place in the Baker Trial Courtroom at Rutgers University School of Law, 123 Washington Street, Newark, New Jersey, from 6-8 p.m. Vegan refreshments will be served following the debate, which will be videotaped and made available here and on Professor Ringach’s site.
The debate will be sponsored by the Student Bar Association, the American Constitutional Society, and the Federalist Society. The debate will be moderated by John J. Farmer, Jr., Dean and Professor of Law at Rutgers University School of Law-Newark. Dean Farmer served as Attorney General of the State of New Jersey and as General Counsel of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States (commonly known as the 9/11 Commission).
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Let's End Vivisection in New Jersey
Michael Budkie, exec director of Stop Animal Exploitation Now (SAEN) gave a brilliant presentation at the Community Church of Keyport on October 5th as part of their "Life in the Lab: Hidden Truth about Animal Experiments" speaking tour. See more on the tour: http://all-creatures.org/saen/event-eastern-tour-2010.html
Michael captivated the audience as he spoke about the types of experiments performed on animals, the funding sources, the waste, fraud, and abuse. He explained not only how vivisection harms animals, but how it translates to an incalculable cost to humans as well.
One example is how government spends about $50-60 million each year on addicting animals to drugs, which yields nothing useful to human drug addicts. Imagine how many addicts could be helped if that same $50-60 million were available to them in the form of resources, medical care, educational materials, drug rehab, etc.
Michael talked about how everyone can get more involved in this issue. You don't need to be a scientist to understand some basic principles. Human physiology is quite different from other species.
Laurie, who attend the presentation wrote the following:
"Just when you think you know what is going on behind closed doors, trust me, you do not have a clue. The amount of cruelty and neglect is incredible. Ultimately for no reason other than to make money. Michael indicated that researchers on one hand claim that non-humane primates are just like us, therefore justifying the research. Yet on the other hand they say that non-humane primates are not like us, and do not feel pain or distress, justifying the agonizing experiments. Total contradiction!!!!! After sitting and listening to this unbelievable speaker you realize that non-humane primates are just like us when it comes to pain and suffering (whether mental or physical), and yet are not like us since they do not share the same physiological makeup , therefore, rendering experiments virtually useless. So much more was discussed, and so much more must be said on this subject. If you feel as I do that this must be stopped, I am asking everyone to get involved because we can make a difference."
Laurie is right. Making the commitment to get more involved is the first step to ending these atrocities.
Laurie, who attend the presentation wrote the following:
"Just when you think you know what is going on behind closed doors, trust me, you do not have a clue. The amount of cruelty and neglect is incredible. Ultimately for no reason other than to make money. Michael indicated that researchers on one hand claim that non-humane primates are just like us, therefore justifying the research. Yet on the other hand they say that non-humane primates are not like us, and do not feel pain or distress, justifying the agonizing experiments. Total contradiction!!!!! After sitting and listening to this unbelievable speaker you realize that non-humane primates are just like us when it comes to pain and suffering (whether mental or physical), and yet are not like us since they do not share the same physiological makeup , therefore, rendering experiments virtually useless. So much more was discussed, and so much more must be said on this subject. If you feel as I do that this must be stopped, I am asking everyone to get involved because we can make a difference."
Laurie is right. Making the commitment to get more involved is the first step to ending these atrocities.
1. Please visit our website to learn more about the basics and how vivisection has delayed advancements in the top disease categories: http://askuswhy.com/home.htm
2. Learn more about the issues. Michael's website has a wealth of information, links, resources, reports, etc. Please visit: http://all-creatures.org/saen/
3. Read the reports online about experiments taking place near you:
4. Take information from the reports and send to the media. Here's a list of NJ media: www.usnpl.com/njnews.php
5. There is no doubt that this information is painful to read, but in addition to being upset, we urge you to take action. Protest, rally, and educate everyone else you know:
National Primate Liberation Week
(October 16th - October 24th, 2010
Please join Friends of Animals United New Jersey (http://www.faunnj.org/) and Animal Protection League of New Jersey (http://www.aplnj.org/)
When: Friday, October 22nd, 2010 (Note: It's important to leaflet when they are present.)
Time: 2:00 PM - 6:00 PM
Where: UMDNJ Medical/Dental School, 185 S Orange Avenue, Newark, NJ 07101
**IMPORTANT PARKING UPDATE!!!!**
PLEASE DO NOT park in the PathMark parking lot on Bergen St, across from the UMDNJ! We've learned that from 8am to 4pm on weekdays, this parking lot is monitored by PathMark employees, vigilant for people parking there and then walking across to the UMDNJ. Activists parking there and walking across Bergen St to join the protest MAY BE ticketed/towed at the owner's expense!
THERE IS, however, metered and unmetered parking all along this section of Bergen St, close to where it intersects w/ S. Orange Ave. On this part of Bergen St, there is also a Rite Aid, an IHOP and a KFC, all with ample parking. From any of these locations, you'll walk about half a block up Bergen to where it intersects w/ S.Orange Ave, then turn left onto S.Orange Ave, where we'll be gathered about 1/2 a block down on the left hand side (roughly where S. Orange intersects with Bruce St - in front of the facility where the actual animal testing is done). Please check the following link for a clear overview of the local layout:
PLEASE DO NOT park in the PathMark parking lot on Bergen St, across from the UMDNJ! We've learned that from 8am to 4pm on weekdays, this parking lot is monitored by PathMark employees, vigilant for people parking there and then walking across to the UMDNJ. Activists parking there and walking across Bergen St to join the protest MAY BE ticketed/towed at the owner's expense!
THERE IS, however, metered and unmetered parking all along this section of Bergen St, close to where it intersects w/ S. Orange Ave. On this part of Bergen St, there is also a Rite Aid, an IHOP and a KFC, all with ample parking. From any of these locations, you'll walk about half a block up Bergen to where it intersects w/ S.Orange Ave, then turn left onto S.Orange Ave, where we'll be gathered about 1/2 a block down on the left hand side (roughly where S. Orange intersects with Bruce St - in front of the facility where the actual animal testing is done). Please check the following link for a clear overview of the local layout:
Option B for parking: There is an actual multi-level parking garage at the intersection of S. Orange and Bergen St, annexed to the UMDNJ facility itself. A HUGE sign for this parking garage at 160 Bergen St says P2 PARKING - that's it! This is more secure, obviously, than street parking, but there is a fee: $3.25 pays up to 2 hours/ $7.50 pays up to 12 hours in the parking garage. For those showing up after 4, $3.25 should be enough, since we'll be finishing at 6pm. If there are any additional questions about parking, please call (732) 693-9044 or email anthony@faunnj.org
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
LIFE IN THE LAB - Hidden Truth about Animal Experimentation
LIFE IN THE LAB - Hidden Truth about Animal Experimentation Presentation
Co-sponsored by the Animal Protection League of New Jersey (APLNJ) and Friends of Animals United NJ (FAUN).
This event is free and open to the public.
DATE: October 5, 2010
TIME: 7 PM
PLACE: Community Church of Keyport, 125 Division Street, Keyport, NJ,07733
Directions: Copy and paste the link below into your browser. The address is contained within the link, giving each person the ability to put in their own address.
http://mapq.st/h/5-A6ulME6O
EVENT:
Michael Budkie, Exec Director of SAEN - Stop Animal Exploitation Now, will be presenting the current state of animal experimentation on the national scale and at area NY labs followed by Q&A session.
Budkie's recent book, "Tear at the Jacket", blows the lab doors wide open by revealing the horrors of the daily lives of primates in laboratories across the United States. Copies of this book, SAEN t-shirts, and stainless steel water bottles will be available for purchase at the event for $15 each (cash or check only).Come out and learn more about the plight of animals in labs. Also, a great chance to network and meet new friends.
Vegan Refreshments
Sunday, September 12, 2010
'Lung-on-a-Chip' Capable of Accurately Replicating Natural Lung
A new way to test medications that could replace animal tests has been developed by researchers at Harvard’s Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering. Dr. Donald Ingber is leading scientist. To learn more, please visit: http://askuswhy.com/lungchip.htm.
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Here's What's Wrong With Vivisection:
By Gary Yourofsky
Link
Simulposted with ADAPTT
Humanitarian and British author George Bernard Shaw summed up vivisection best when he once proclaimed, “Those who won’t hesitate to vivisect, won’t hesitate to lie about it as well.”
Vivisection is the act of cutting, drugging, burning, blinding, shocking, addicting, shooting, freezing, infecting and surgically mutilating live animals. Vivisection also happens to be more than just bloody science. It’s a bloody fraud. Every year in the US about 20 million monkeys, dogs, cats, pigs and rabbits, and nearly 50 million mice and rats are incarcerated and infected with mutations of human diseases. They are tortured in violent burn and brain-damage re-creation experiments. Then they are observed for meaningless data and killed.
First, let’s understand that animals are a completely different bio-mechanical entity than humans. The anatomical, physiological, immunological, histological [dealing with the cell structures] and even psychological differences between humans and animals are too great to overcome. At this moment, a formula for making animal-derived research relevant to human health is non-existent. Animal research has not, can not and will not save a human lives because information cannot be extrapolated from one species to another.
Let me elucidate this point to you in a few ways. Everyday in veterinary schools all across this world, the fraud of vivisection is substantiated. After talking with several veterinarians who unfortunately have been fooled into believing that animal research can be beneficial to humans, I asked them when they were in vet school studying feline leukemia which animal they studied upon. Cats, of course, they all replied. I asked them why they didn’t study on dogs for feline leukemia. They each replied that studying on dogs for feline leukemia doesn’t make scientific sense. I then asked why would we use dogs and cats and other animals for human leukemia research. Their silence exposed the scam.
By Gary Yourofsky
Link
Simulposted with ADAPTT
Humanitarian and British author George Bernard Shaw summed up vivisection best when he once proclaimed, “Those who won’t hesitate to vivisect, won’t hesitate to lie about it as well.”
Vivisection is the act of cutting, drugging, burning, blinding, shocking, addicting, shooting, freezing, infecting and surgically mutilating live animals. Vivisection also happens to be more than just bloody science. It’s a bloody fraud. Every year in the US about 20 million monkeys, dogs, cats, pigs and rabbits, and nearly 50 million mice and rats are incarcerated and infected with mutations of human diseases. They are tortured in violent burn and brain-damage re-creation experiments. Then they are observed for meaningless data and killed.
First, let’s understand that animals are a completely different bio-mechanical entity than humans. The anatomical, physiological, immunological, histological [dealing with the cell structures] and even psychological differences between humans and animals are too great to overcome. At this moment, a formula for making animal-derived research relevant to human health is non-existent. Animal research has not, can not and will not save a human lives because information cannot be extrapolated from one species to another.
Let me elucidate this point to you in a few ways. Everyday in veterinary schools all across this world, the fraud of vivisection is substantiated. After talking with several veterinarians who unfortunately have been fooled into believing that animal research can be beneficial to humans, I asked them when they were in vet school studying feline leukemia which animal they studied upon. Cats, of course, they all replied. I asked them why they didn’t study on dogs for feline leukemia. They each replied that studying on dogs for feline leukemia doesn’t make scientific sense. I then asked why would we use dogs and cats and other animals for human leukemia research. Their silence exposed the scam.
Monday, December 28, 2009
By Stuart Chaifetz
As we end this year and prepare to welcome a new one, I want to reflect for a moment on the origins and future of the ARISE Anti-Vivisection campaign.
Prior to ARISE, I spent nearly two decades fighting against hunting, including the last four years working politically for animals. In the back of my mind, however, I always thought that someday I should try to help animals that are experimented on, for their suffering was truly terrifying to behold. But there was just too much work to be done and too little time to spare for any new ventures, so this remained unrealized. That changed in February of this year, when I received an email with a picture of a dog being vivisected.
Saturday, December 19, 2009
By Stuart Chaifetz
When animal experiments are proposed, there are a series of steps that are supposed to occur to test the worthiness of the project. This is especially true in an academic setting.
This year, Yale and the University of Chicago performed nearly the exact same experiments, which were designed to weigh the effect of “loneliness” on small mammals who were given cancer. The Yale study used Norway Rats, while the U of C used genetically engineered mice. Both found a link between isolation and cancer, which was then extrapolated to human beings, leading to news stories titled like this: “Lonely women could be at greater risk of breast cancer”
There is so much wrong here I can barely find the words to express myself. Fine. I’ll use this guy’s words instead:
“Ed Yong, of Cancer Research UK, said: "This study was done in rats.
"Overall, research in humans does not suggest there is a direct link between stress and breast cancer.”
Simple, concise and right on point; it is nonsensical to have used rats to judge human reactions, especially when we already knew from human data what the true effects were. Okay, so the Yale study was pointless. What about the U of C experiment?
Now this is where it gets really interesting. It turns out that that story was picked up by the British press, and in response the British National Health Service (NHS) devoted an entire page to a discussion of the experiment.
Friday, December 11, 2009
By Stuart Chaifetz
Testosterone. Yeah, that’s right, I’ve got some - you want to fight about it? C’mon, I’ll take on you, your ugly brother, all his ugly friends, and anyone they ever had lunch with! GGGGGRRRRrrrrrrrrrrr....
Testosterone. Yeah, that’s right, I’ve got some - you want to fight about it? C’mon, I’ll take on you, your ugly brother, all his ugly friends, and anyone they ever had lunch with! GGGGGRRRRrrrrrrrrrrr....
We all know that having too much testosterone makes a person more aggressive and prone to violence. We know this because of experiments performed on animals. That’s right; a vivisector castrated a bunch of rats, they became less hostile, and lack of testosterone was the given reason why. They used animals, so it must be right...
Now mind you, it never occurred to the ‘scientists’ involved that the act of castration itself might instill enough fear in the rats to drive out any aggression they had (for the men reading this blog - just imagine a giant monster in a lab coat cutting your [censored] off with something the size of a scimitar, and you’ll understand what those poor rats went through).
At this point you are asking, and quite fairly, where am I going with this?
Sunday, December 6, 2009
By Stuart Chaifetz
Of Baboons, Butchers and the Best of Science
A very interesting turn of events occurred at Oklahoma State University last week. “Anthrax study rejected by OSU” tells how the President of the University stopped an anthrax test that would have killed a number of baboons.
The real hero of the story appears to be Madeleine Pickens, who “...threatened to redirect a $5 million donation to the vet school because she did not agree with such practices.”
Good for her! Of course those who experiment on animals didn’t handle the news very well, as we can see in this blog post from one student. I guess he missed the memo where, for PR sake, young vivisectors are supposed to hide all that rage and anger they have. If one day we see this guy on a PETA hidden camera smacking a few animals around in the lab, I for one would not be surprised.
Sunday, November 29, 2009
By Stuart Chaifetz
There’s been a lot in the news recently regarding Pharmaceutical companies and related issues, so, instead of focusing on one specific story, this time I am going to hit a few at a time.
I’ve written a lot about Big Pharma and their business practices. In this story from the NY Times, November 15, “Drug Makers Raise Prices in Face of Health Care Reform” we see how Big Pharma is preparing for health care reform by socking consumers with major hikes in prices.
“In the last year, the industry has raised the wholesale prices of brand-name prescription drugs by about 9 percent, according to industry analysts. That will add more than $10 billion to the nation’s drug bill, which is on track to exceed $300 billion this year. By at least one analysis, it is the highest annual rate of inflation for drug prices since 1992.”
Thursday, October 29, 2009
By Stuart Chaifetz
If you like this blog, and the other work that we do with the ARISE campaign, then please consider joining or making a donation to our mother organization, the Animal Protection League of NJ. APLNJ (formerly NJ Animal Rights Alliance) is a grass-roots group that has been fighting for animals for more than 25 years. Any donation you can make will truly be appreciated! http://aplnj.org/donation.htm
Thank you!
Animal Protection League of NJ
And now back to our regularly scheduled blog.
Friday, October 16, 2009
By Stuart Chaifetz
Tales from the Dark Side of Big Pharma, Part 14,638
The Never Ending Story
When I started the “Dark Side of Big Pharma” series, I envisioned three or four blogs that dealt with fraud and corruption within the Pharmaceutical industry. I thought that under this banner I could take a little time and explore the human ramifications of drug testing, and then go back to more animal centric experimentation.
Once I began to research these issues, and saw how seemingly endless the controversies regarding Human Clinical Trials and fraud were, what started out as “Dark Side” I, II, III, expanded quickly to IV, V, and then threatened to escalate to blogs X, XX and that most interesting of all Roman numeral combinations, good ol’ XXX (perhaps then I would have found a ‘happy ending’ to this series).
Monday, October 5, 2009
By Stuart Chaifetz
The Dark Side of Big Pharma V
Over/sight
I’ve been spending a lot of time exploring Human Clinical Trials (HCT), because they are the bridge between animal experiments and wide spread use of pharmaceutical drugs. This pivot is where millions of dollars and years of research are put to the test - a test that they fail 90% of the time. The reason why HCT’s fail so dramatically is because animals are poor models for gauging human responses to drugs.
Even though the FDA has cited certain clinical trials for fraud and abuse, their oversight is merely the proverbial drop in the bucket. For this blog, I want to show you just how tiny that drop is - and why the FDA can’t even find the bucket.
Monday, September 28, 2009
By Stuart Chaifetz
The Dark Side of Big Pharma IV
Fraudorama
Fraud is a pretty powerful word. When something is painted as being a fraud, we immediately begin to dismiss it as being illegitimate, corrupt and deceitful.
It’s also a dangerous word to use, because the person wielding it can be dismissed if there is no evidence to back up their claim. It’s not something that I throw out casually and I am not at all comfortable simply accusing someone, or in this case members of the Pharmaceutical industry, of fraud.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
By Stuart Chaifetz
The Dark Side of Big Pharma III:
Institutional Review Boards
The first line of defense against dangerous practices occurring in Human Clinical Trials are Institutional Review Boards (IRB). These boards are meant to monitor and approve research that has been taken to the human level, and, specifically, to protect the rights of people who are being tested.
Thankfully, with these IRB’s Elliot Ness style of Untouchability, there are never any problems and corruption doesn’t exist at all within the biomedical/human research community.
Right.
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