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

 

Animal Alternatives and drug pipeline

Most recently I stumbled upon an older article in Spiked called: ''In defence of animal experimentation'' by Patrick Hayes. If you wish to read it you can find it here.
The journalist does make some valid points, especially when it comes to alternatives and concessions made. There is just no way you can make an omelet without braking the eggs. Far too often are we caught in ethical debates when in fact animal use is just inevitable. His concluding paragraph says it all.

Is that to say that there should be no alternatives to animal use? No, quite the opposite. Finding alternatives is another tool in the life saving toolbox. Stem cell research and computer modeling are tools that contribute. From what I have read however, when it comes to more complex living systems, animal models can't be beaten. One can not afford either, to give up the animal research step in order to go straight into human trails. It is a safety mechanism, a precautionary step rightfully imposed, using two animal species.  Nothing to be apologetic about but to be rather proud of. After all, these are life saving contributions to mankind.  If you do enjoy rants about opinionated activism and its consequences read this article.

It does become more painful when researchers themselves have to publicly say that enough animal rights activism is enough as was the case in 2009 at UCLA. Letter to the editor Journal of Neurophysiology

Similar debates have taken place in the UK and now three years later the general public has a better understanding of why animal research is needed. That is not to say that animal activism has stopped. No it has spilled over into continental Europe and Asia and it has tumored into other areas of human activity where animals are used. Such as for example the fur industry, the agricultural industry ( did you know that US horses now have to be slaughtered in Mexico or Canada?) , the companionship industry and the display industry.

All of this because of increased animal welfare concerns? No, because of 'No Animal Use' activism. Even Zoo's and Aquaria do not find grace in the eyes of animal rights groups, claiming that animals were meant to be born free. Never mind their efforts in wildlife conservation towards re-introduction into the wild. Just think where the debating and activism will lead us if animal sentiency and manlike status are adopted or enshrined into laws?

The pharmaceutical industry is spending millions of dollars to establish close ties with academic researchers in an effort to get to cutting edge drug discovery and research. We all know about the drug pipeline problems and the coming off patent situation, but if the academic world is prevented from live animal supply and from valid animal models , where does that lead to? BUAV primate cargo cruelty campaign

and lobbying airlines

Airlines say no to primate transport
Certainly not more animal use alternatives. Rather the loss of potential cures or the delay in life saving research and potentially a few million victims because of animal rights. Avian influenza anyone?