Facing the truth about #animalresearch

Back in 2013 Erica Trent wrote an article about animal research and her experience as a MIT student neuroscience.
She tells us how difficult it was for her to do that what was expected of her. Obtain data from a rodent that had to be killed by means of euthanasia. She then realized how much of our current bio medical knowledge came from this emperical data and how this in turn led to medical progress. How many treatments and drugs first started in animal labs and she felt thankfull towards the animals that had been sacrificed. You can read the piece here http://tech.mit.edu/V133/N39/trent.html?comments#comments

It takes courage to do what she did. It takes even more courage to talk about it openly and face the comments, good or bad, from the public.
Every student taking these courses goes through the same struggle, although some a bit more intensely than others, yet all understand that the purpose is not to kill but to save lives.

That doesn't make the sacrifice easier but it does give it perspective. Just as when we prepare ourselves for surgery we know that we will hurt when we wake up and that there is a risk that we may not make it or things dont work out as expected but in the end it is for our good. It is what it takes to heal or cure. We certainly do not yell at the surgeon, nor do we protest at his house or start an e.mail campaign to stop him from hurting us :(!

So why do we allow others to do so against researchers that use animal models? Is this same research not also advancing our knowledge of the animals themselves?

Instead of thanking them for the benefits we now all enjoy, we stand by and let animal rights zealots treat them as garbage. What a shame!  This will not happen in my house I can tell you that much. My children know the hard work it takes to give us cures and treatments.

Talking about zealots, it appears now that the animal rights extremists are starting to smell the coffee and are wondering about their decline. It appears that animal rights isn't natural per Wesley J Smith here in the National Review.

Well it seems after all that we are getting into a good start for 2016!  Let's keep it that way and focus a bit more on donations to those who cure us rather than Peta or Hsus. They have done more damage to animal conservation than they will ever dare to admit, if they ever do. I know because I have worked with Zoo's and Aquaria - they too deserve better.

I want to mention the death of a great man Aït Ahmed, may he rest in peace. Algerians from North to South and East to West have lost a great leader. Azul Hocine lahisahel ou que tu sois

Don't be misguided! Support animal research.

Please don't be misguided, do try to understand why we as a society continue to invest in and support animal research. I do so on a regular basis for not only do I learn about new techniques, discoveries or advances but also it allows me to distinguish between facts put forward by the scientific community and the fiction animal extremists put forward.

I do want to point out that I am not remunerated to do so by anyone. My motivation is based on a need to know and the exposure to animal research at a certain point in my career. By now, for those of you who have followed me here on the blog or on twitter, this means roughly +20K tweets on the subject and almost 40000 views on my blog. Enough clues to make the point.


I insist though that you as a member of the public must understand why, when and where there is animal research. I do hope that my tweets and the links or articles they contain or point to, enable you to make up your mind or at least educate you about the subject. I do not condemn people for making certain dietary food choices but do point to those who try to stop animal research by all means necessary. In 2015 an animal rights activist, as a result of prosecution under AETA, has been condemned to prison. Read about it here. It is sad that things had to come to this but it is just; the uncompromising views and actions of these individuals result in an expected sentence: guilty as charged. This trail to jail had been announced a long time ago. Misguided , ill advised and radicalized, sounds familiar? Animal extremists cause too much damage, not just to researchers and institutions but also to animal conservation (ebola -great apes) and to those patients that are anxiously awaiting medical progress. It is not a broken record but a reality and a necessity. Unless of course animals must be born free!

From experience I know most of you now expect me to post a link to a science based article, so I will kindly oblige and refer you to Hollis Cline and Mar Sanchez as to the reasons why animal research is necessary. Dont just take my word for it, but please do take theirs. After all they are scientists who want you to understand what it is they do, why, when and where. Or you might just want to read this article and decide for yourself if monkey research isnt necessary, cruel and a baby trade!

Finaly if reading isnt your forte just watch this and decide for yourself where you want the NIH to focus on and make a donation to those who contribute to real medical progress. The investment is worthwhile for you will invest in your own future now!

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