Gillian Anderson: Don’t Perform Animal Tests When the Truth Is Already Out There
As Scully in the X-Files, Gillian witnessed some pretty chilling things – but those storylines don’t come close to many of the horrors inflicted on animals in laboratories.
So while she’s in India filming her new movie, Viceroy’s House, she wrote to the Indian government on behalf of these animals – specifically, about a measure that would make it illegal to conduct toxicity tests on animals when data already exist. If approved, it could spare thousands of lives each year.
In her letter to the Indian health minister, Gillian wrote:
As you know, rats, rabbits, primates, dogs and other animals used for drug testing are confined to barren cages. They are forced to ingest or inhale drugs or have them smeared on their skin or put in their eyes. These animals often endure seizures, breathing difficulties, blindness, vomiting and other agonising symptoms of poisoning as well as a slow death. They live lonely lives in fear of the next terrifying and painful procedure that will be performed on them.
I therefore respectfully request that you move this process along by amending the Drugs and Cosmetics Rules, 1945, immediately in order to stop redundant drug testing.
Thank you, Gillian, for speaking out for animals!
Here in the UK, you, too, can get involved in the campaign to end animal testing: