Lab Animal Europe , Faster cures and Recherche Animale

Lab Animal Europe | Volume 13, No. 2 | March 2013



Pleased to share with you my latest article that appeared in the March issue of Lab Animal Europe.



The reason why animal research matters is because we all need cures ! For Some Time = Life. For others animal research needs to be stopped!

Take TWO minutes of your time to listen to those for whom medical research and progress really matters.

Et pour mes amis francophones de par le monde, voici la fabuleuse histoire de James ou comment expliquer la naissance d'un médicament qui un jour peut-être sauvera des vies. Un processus qui inclut la recherche animale, of course! Pour ceux qui souhaitent lire les avancées médicales obtenues par la voie de la recherche animale, veuillez suivre ce lien et découvrir le site recherche-animale.org

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!

 

Lost a battle but remember to win the war!

There is no victory in the announcement from PETA against Fedex, UPS and DHL.

Neither is there one as a result of this article in Nature called lab animal flights squeezed.

There is a set back, a battle has been lost. Patients have been silenced again by a radical minority.
But let's take a closer look at what has been written:
neither transporters are big players in the movement of animals. Why?
Well because mail or courier companies do not operate the same way as passenger or cargo airlines. They have sorting facilities that handle small parcels and therefore are not set up to handle live animals. Take a look at the videos below.

They may fly a charter here and there as Fedex does for larger zoo animals for example and as  the passenger carriers do. This kind of work attracts a lot of positive PR for them and the animal is treated with the red carpet, a VIP treatment of sorts.  Carriers involved in the movement of an endangered species, a repopulating effort, a re-introduction into the wild or an animal rescue attract positive support. Ask WWF or the Association of Zoo's and Aquariums, they know the value of the contribution of air carriers. Even PETA acknowledges this fact. So what is this double language? A double standard ? One for the public and one for when the issue suits the goal?

Gone is the cruel cargo, the crammed cages, the inhumane transport conditions, the suffering. Same aircrafts, same transport conditions. Airlines around the world follow identical rules and standards in terms of containers for air transport of live animals. All countries signatories to the Washington Convention known as CITES, accept, recognize these standards and airlines enforce them. But that is not what BUAV or PETA want the public to know. Why would one donate $$ when the facts are not the reality they want the public to believe? 

Remember to stand behind your industry associations and make sure transportation is on their agenda. Communicate achievements, breakthroughs and contributions to medical advancement to the general public, speak out about what it is you do and why. It is the credible way to win the war.