Final Appeal: Please Take Action Now for the AstraZeneca Beagles

Posted by on February 28, 2013 | Permalink

UPDATE: We’ve just heard the devastating news that most of the AstraZeneca dogs were shipped to UK laboratories over the past few days.

A few dogs are still left in AstraZeneca’s breeding facility in Örkelljunga, Sweden. Please call AstraZeneca’s board today and ask them to show mercy and rehome the remaining beagles.

The number to call is +46-8-553 260 00.

Finally, thank you to everyone who has been speaking out for these dogs over the past days and weeks, on the phone, by e-mail and on Facebook and Twitter. The response has been remarkable. We’ll keep on working to oppose future shipments of animals for testing, and urging airlines such as Aeronova to change their policies.

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Ever since pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca decided to close its dog-breeding facility in Sweden, the fate of more than 300 beagles has been hanging in the balance. AstraZeneca’s plans to ship the dogs to UK laboratories to become victims of horrific animal tests have met with opposition from more than 11,000 PETA supporters, who’ve written to the company to ask that these dogs be spared the cruelty of experimentation and instead be adopted into loving homes.

Yesterday, we heard the disturbing news that a number of the beagles had been shipped to Manchester Airport, transported by the airline Aeronova. Each year, pharmaceutical companies like AstraZeneca hire carriers like Aeronova to transport animals to laboratories that test products on animals in excruciatingly painful and lethal experiments. Specifically, dogs like those at the AstraZeneca facility are likely to be subjected to cruel toxicity tests in which they are injected with or force-fed chemicals and experimental drugs in increasingly higher doses until they become very sick, suffer from seizures and vomiting and/or die.

Time is running out for the remaining dogs. Please contact Aeronova today and ask that the airline refuse to ship any more of the beagles to laboratories in the UK, where the animals will be caged, mutilated, poisoned and killed.

THIS ACTION IS NOW CLOSED

  • Explain that you were very distressed to learn that Aeronova shipped a number of beagles to the UK for cruel animal tests on 26 February.
  • Request that the airline refuse to transport any more beagles from AstraZeneca’s Örkelljunga facility to the UK.
  • Point out that many other leading airlines refuse to transport animals destined for pain and misery in laboratories, including FedEx, UPS, Cathay Pacific, Korean Airlines, British Airways, Aer Lingus and Qantas.
  • Ask Aeronova to make the compassionate choice to adopt a policy against shipping all animals to laboratories. Tell its representatives that you will refuse to fly with Aeronova as long as it continues to be complicit in inhumane tests in which animals are caged, mutilated, poisoned and killed.

Image: Jo-Anne McArthur / We Animals

By acting together now, we can make a difference for these dogs. Please use your voice to speak out for these beagles today.

Watch this space for updates on the situation, and let us know in the comments if you receive a response from Aeronova.

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