Animal Groups Unite in Call for Manifesto Pledges to Phase Out All Experiments on Animals

Posted by on February 13, 2024 | Permalink

It’s time to end the era of experiments on animals in the UK. Leading animal groups have rushed a joint letter to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and other political party leaders calling on them to develop a national plan to rethink scientific research.

PETA US

As part of their manifesto commitments, all political parties need to commit to developing a roadmap that will phase out all experiments on animals and support the adoption of superior, animal-free technology. Only then can the UK achieve its goal of becoming a world leader in science.

Who Signed the Letter?

The signees include Animal Aid, Animal Defenders International, Animal Free Research UK, Cruelty Free International, Fund for the Replacement of Animals in Medical Experiments, Humane Society International/UK, Naturewatch Foundation, OneKind, and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals Foundation.

Why Is It Important for Animals?

In UK laboratories every year, animals are lawfully subjected to millions of procedures that cause them physical pain, psychological suffering, and distress and then they may be killed.

It’s time to recognise that animals are not test tubes but sentient beings who must not be drugged, gassed, discarded, or dissected for questionable science.

The majority of the public wants to see action being taken to end experiments on animals in the UK, but as things stand – without a plan to phase out animal use – the nation risks being left behind as progressive international developments shift towards animal-free science.

Why Are Non-Animal Methods Superior?

Given the vast physiological differences between humans and other species, results of experiments on animals are inherently unreliable. As well as causing animals to suffer, extensive research documents the failure in translating results from animals into treatments for humans in numerous disease areas, including cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, HIV/AIDS, neurodegenerative disease, sepsis, and stroke.

It is high time the government committed to developing a comprehensive roadmap to end experiments on animals in the UK. PETA’s Research Modernisation Deal provides the very strategy needed for creating such a plan to phase out the use of all animals in experiments and accelerate the uptake and further development of superior, humane non-animal methods.

Urge Your MP to Take Action

Take action for animals in laboratories: send a message to your MP today. Please also ask your friends and family to do the same. Beagles and bunnies need as many allies as possible to speak out for them!