TRAIL TO JAIL

A many years ago when I joined an all freigther operation I learned to apply preventive measures to ensure customers experience prime time customer satisfaction when using our services. This was part and parcel of a due dilligence process. This mindset has never left me and other employers have enjoyed the benefits thereof. You can read about this mindset in this excellent article that describes the crucial role of  animal research and its contributions to saving lives here.

Nowadays it seems one first has to experience something really bad before anything happens. Despite AETA, Animal extremists know this very well and their actions are slick orchestrated public relations campaigns to turn you into active figthers that combat for what is labeled ethically right. A prime example is the case of Camille Marino who's infamous TRIAL TO JAIL is well documented in this article
http://gawker.com/5976473/?post=56314650

Let's be clear the objective is not to engage debate but to stop animal use, regardless of medical progress and life saving medical procedures or drugs and the fate of millions of people that suffer or are waiting for cures. Did you know that there are over 34 million people worldwide infected with HIV? You can read about it here. One thing is sure ERADICATION of this disease will not be achieved if we leave it up to animal extremists (BUAV, PETA, HSUS, HSIC etc) for they oppose animal use and leave at a minimum 34 million people behind because they do not fit with what they consider right.

Others join the fray and portray those involved with animal research as Targets and prompt readers for action. As you can see here. No matter what you do they will always take things a step further and depict your legal activities as torture or immoral and inundate you with pre-written emails. However when they impose longer transit times onto animals to be transported because an airline decides to no longer carry research animals then that is called a victory... a victory with a bad smell that is.
And they call themselves Charities ....I say take away their tax exempt status. 

Canadian Transport Agency supports ban on primates!

Shortly before the New Year, the Canadian Transport Agency issued its decision to support Air Canada’s ban on transportation of primates destined for research.  The agency recognized the ‘potential’ impact on Air Canada’s brand by the 47000 people that via email opposed such transportation. Some of the letters received by Air Canada threatened to cease using their services if this (transport) were to continue whilst others indicated it as a reason for not using Air Canada. As a carrier Air Canada transports thirty two (32) million passengers per year and it identifies itself primarily as a passenger carrier transporting cargo in its bellies.

Air Canada submits that non human primate transportation represents 0.01% of its total weight worldwide in 2010 whereas the numbers for 2011 represent 0.001% in 2011. It is therefore considered minimal in terms of commercial value and in comparison with total weight transported (a means of showing the minimal amount of shippers affected).  

 

Given these minimal numbers it is hard to understand why the agency let’s Canadian transportation policy be defined by such a minority of voices and of shipments.  Nevertheless as it has the task to decide upon the matter submitted, the agency considers the potential commercial impact on Air Canada to be serious enough to support a ban on shippers of laboratory destined primates because in effect that is what the Air Canada decision entails. Other means of transportation being available the agency has no problem supporting a solution whereby the animals for example are trucked into the country as is pointed out by the BUAV and HSIC.  

Coming from an aviation background the agency and its members should have noted that the most humane way of transporting animals is by air not by ground. Ironically BUAV and HSIC are now supporting longer and less humane means of transportation as opposed to supporting the animal’s best welfare interests! Click here to read their campaign against air canada and those that collaborated to this decision. 

The same animal being shipped from and to a zoo for example would benefit from Air Canada services whereas one identical animal destined to a laboratory would not. If this is not discriminatory to shippers and animals then I don’t know what is. The agency however does not consider the decision to be discriminatory. I call this denial of service.

The Transport Canada decision is, seeded with statements made by the BUAV a foreign based entity, almost reading as if the agency is required to provide its comments with equal weight or standing. A Canadian transport policy (the accessibility to available air services for shippers) is now heavily influenced if not shaped by foreign input whereas native comments or input is simply ignored.

The medical progress brought through primate research are numerous and clearly documented. The agency however fails to take this aspect into consideration and has made a decision around matters submitted to it by a number of interested parties –amongst whom the writer of this article, without looking beyond the issues or facts at hand. Medical progress benefits all Canadians and animals and the agency should have defended these interests as well as part of the due diligence expected from an official agency.   For Air Canada the decision is also short sighted for Pharmaceutical and related companies do transport their cold chain goods under their wings and their traveling employees in their business class seats.

A sad day for Canadians, animals and medical progress – please do not follow this unprecedented Canadian example.  As a service transportation must be available to all, always. As I have said before I did not vote for this! Did you?

Air India blocks research.

Important Update!
Now that Air India has decided to continue laboratory animal transportation, they have become the target of  those that oppose animal use. The battle rages on Air India's Facebook page
https://www.facebook.com/air.india.airlines#!/air.india.airlines and PETA has a campaign up and running for all to lobby the airline. Of course PETA doesn't just stop there it lobbies Airlines to stop COVANCE from doing research on animals and introduces resolutions to shareholders meetings - read here http://www.peta.org/features/covance-incs-cruel-animal-experimentation.aspx/

Please go ahead and show your support to Air India by leaving positive comments in support of their decision to continue transporting laboratory animals. Also make sure you sign the petition towards medical advancement through science and animal research - because medical progress matters to all of us!!
http://www.change.org/en-CA/petitions/support-medical-progress-through-science-and-animal-research

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Reading this article , should send shivers down your spine!

An Air India cargo manager issued , or most likely was asked to issue, a circular in which staff were instructed not to accept laboratory destined animals on Air India flights. The article furthermore says that appeals from the scientific community, the secretary of the Biotechnology department and the head of the Scientific Advisory Council to India's Prime Minister appealing the decision have all fallen on deaf ears. Even the Minster of civil aviation could not change the poorly conceived decision.
The Times of India in this article, not surprisingly mentions PETA involvement. (SEE Comments section for an update as to Air India's decision to re-instate the carriage of laboratory animals)

Again a perfect example of a minority dicating their views onto a silent majority. None of these animal extremist groups, be they PETA, HSUS, BUAV or HSI have been elected to implement their views or their agendas. Their tactics are well known and their aims are to stop any animal use by direct and indirect actions. For examples of indirect actions please read my post called Animal welfare unpopular. Their affiliations and sharing of resources are known too, read here.

In the US, Camille Marino of Negotiation is over (NIO) has been imprisoned according to the extremist web site.  Cyber threats have to stop and those that incite others towards commiting this kind of intimidation actions should be sued - see for example smash hls south florida and their target list. The fact did not go unnoticed as is reported here in Nature's blog.

The fact of the matter is that animal research follows stringent rules , don't take my word for it read this article and make your own opinion. It also remains necessary as is illustrated by the Cancer Research blog in the article that relates the creation of a life saving drug Imatinib (Gleevec/Glivec) against Cancer. Read the story of those that were involved. Perhaps you or a family member, a friend or a relative have been saved by what was then called a miracle drug in Time magazine?

Remember, animal research is important because it contributes to finding cures and medical progress matters to all of us! If you agree with the above, if you support animal transport regardless of its purpose or if you disagree with Air India and all those taking us hostage and preventing medical progress to take place, please take a few minutes and sign the online petition that supports medical advancement through science and animal research. Thank you!

 

Animal welfare unpopular

Strange but true! Animal welfare is no longer popular.

There is so much pressure from animal rights activists. There are too many regulatory initiatives that seek to change laws, regulations or directives. Not that they all succeed but the fact of the matter remains: animal welfare is no longer popular. I hear people complain about how many initiatives are well intended but not really thought out as they should be. Often the initiatives back a hidden agenda of no animal use,  animal liberation or animal rights. If you are confused by any of these concepts and the blurying of the boundaries, don't worry that too is part of the exercise because all that matters to animal extremists is to win and for you and all others to loose.

Take for example space allowances for animals. There is a direct link between space per animal and cost of exploitation. Increasing space allowances has an impact on commercial viability. Increase space per animal too much and the economic entreprise may be challenged. The impact of increasing space is not on the middlemen such as transporters for example. No the impact is on the producer (the seller) and on the buyer. Therefore the impact is also on you as a consumer if the costs can be passed on. In the case where costs can not be passed on the commercial viability is challenged and the operation stops.

Everyone looses, except those that oppose animal use.

Exactly the purpose of such initiatives when the aim is to stop animal use or to render animal use more difficult, more complex. Now multiply the initiatives,  fuel them through savy marketing campaigns (use of actors, painting the opponent into the corner as the bad guy, playing with emotions etc), petitions and social media use and you more or less get where we are at now!

In case the initiative does not succeed there is always the option to increase costs through the middlemen, for example by increasing the documentation requirements such as when one needs to obtain permits or certificates. Or to try and include additional species in existing laws, regulations,  directives or appendices.
It all works and victories are loudly proclaimed. In fact a victory is a driver towards new or greater membership contributions or donations. It is their lifeblood.

Are you still surprised to hear animal welfare is no longer popular? And here I have only mentioned the legal activities. Add to the above the continuous harassments, the arson, the threats, the verbal and physical aggressions many have been subjected to (and still are), the hokum, the disclosing of private life details and the list goes on to get to the full picture of why animal welfare is no longer popular. Because of all of this animal welfare has been brought into disrepute!

Another victory for  minorities that proclaim to speak and act on behalf of animals? Or a loss for us - a silent majority - that are waiting for cures, searching to feed the planet or trying to run a legal business in research, conservation, agriculture, clothing, entertainment, cosmetics or healthcare?

Remember Animal Research Saves Lives of Animals and Humans Alike !


Image copyright and courtesy of speakingofresearch.com

Since I don't like to leave you on a negative note, here's a positive story about a potential drug , Alzheimers new brain cell connections and rats.

Image courtesy of researchsaves.org

 

Airlines have a thick skin

The fuselage of an aircraft is that part wherein eventually some of us will sit or as it applies to animals, will be carried. It is usually made of aluminium to keep operating weight , the related fuel consumption and carbon footprint down to commercially exploitable levels. It is an assembly of several sections that are welded together. As you can see from the pics below.

Boeing B747-8 Forward Fuselage Source: Aviation news.eu

Whilst most of us do enjoy a flight to our  favoured holiday resort, some are out there telling the airlines what to do or what not to do. Coming from an aviation background that is a biased opinion, admittedly. We do live in a democratic society and criticism as well as free speech is a generally admitted right. No problem there whatsoever. Now do take a look at this petition by the buav.  You'd have to agree with me that airlines must have a thick skin to resist these ongoing petitions. This one in particular has reached the fifty six thousand mark and is aiming at seventy five thousand. The airlines being petitioned are Air France, Vietnam Airlines, Philippine airlines, Continental Airlines (now UA).

Airbus A350 aft fuselage source aviation brief.com

Scenario: I should be the lucky manager to whom this petition is addressed, for I would have to explain to upper management why we are being targeted and what it is we should do moving forward.  Keeping in mind of course that eventually these very 56000 potential or existing customers may decide not to use our services any longer. I am known to keep my temper. The same can not be said of my VP, let stand my CEO.

The petition updates tab provides readers with information on other campaigns and those airlines and other transporters that have decided to stop carrying primates.  Cruel cargo ? I don't think so. It would be if we all keep silent though. It is the very reason why I created this blog for research and medical advancement matters to all of us. Our communities must work together towards a commercially viable alternative and I am not talking about alternative use animals. Let's talk about animal research and saving lives!

A world apart

Sometimes taking a step backwards is necessary. Looking at what is happening in animal research I have said it before, is fascinating. One such institution involved in animal research in the US is the Washington National Primate research Center. It does research on AIDS and related diseases, Non human primates systems biology, neuroscience, evolutionary emergence of infectious diseases and more.

Take a look at their  web pages:

Washington National Primate Research Center

Not all of us fully understand the use of non human primates in research but looking at the various articles and the fields the researchers are involved in, sheds light on what it is they are trying to achieve and how research improves human health. Of course science is not providing an immediate answer to what are complex questions but instead it tries to unravel bits and pieces, the answers of which together in a collaborative effort over time lead to the understanding of mechanisms and processes that affect humans and animals alike.

When in the eighties people started to die from an unknown disease later called AIDS and caused by the human immunodefeciency virus, there were more questions than there were answers. Many died of the disease, whereas now when treated that is, they no longer do.  It is easy to in a few paragraphs jump from where we were to where we are at now. Nevertheless it took many scientists, a lot of money, time and work to answer such questions as the causes of AIDS, symptoms, infection, diagnosis and treatment.  And Yes animals were used to find answers. If you were involved in this research you as a member of this community would have had to live with the pressures of understanding the disease, finding treatments and establishing pathways to potential cures such as through vaccines, whilst being asked to reduce the amount of animals used in research. I take my hat off to you. For more information on primate use in research, you can go to
Macaque


For us members of the general public, it is therefore important to make the link between animal research and the process that leads to drug discovery and the bringing to market of  drugs.
This site gives you an excellent overview of the drug development process.
The drug development process

And then there are people like this that are a world apart. I will let you make your own opinion.

south Florida smash hls  or this negotiation is over and airsouffrance or BUAV cargo cruelty campaign

Mine is made. My vote goes to research!