Tidying up my office has been a task on the To Do list for months. I promised myself I would do it when I’d finished writing the book and the clutter that has characterised every available desk space – and floor space – could finally be packed away while I decided what to do with it all. But this morning I started small, with the in-tray, a useful basket from Florist 9 days that holds all those bits and pieces of non-urgent paperwork to be attended to ‘when I have the time’. Usually that time is when the growing pile is in danger of spilling out onto the floor. That moment was today.
Among the assorted contents was a newsletter from Animals Australia – an organisation I’ve supported for several years. Periodical communications from the various charities who receive occasional donations often land in the letterbox around the end of the financial year – along with an appeal for some largesse. They all get put aside in the basket to be read later. Often it is weeks later, but an article in this one caught my eye because it featured a beagle. A dog that looked remarkably similar to our own Badger the beagle but this one had clearly drawn the short straw in life because it was being used in a laboratory for animal toxicity testing. Beagles, I read, are: “chosen for their gentle compliant nature . . . tied up and fitted with full-face gas masks that deliver test chemicals into their bodies.” The dogs are: “held in ‘metabolism cages’ as part of toxicity testing to enable the collection of their urine and faeces for study purposes. Discomfort and distress are part of a beagle’s life in testing labs.”
And not just beagles of course. Other animals subjected to this gross practice include rabbits, rats, mini-pigs and primates. The abhorrent practice, that‘s still being conducted in several countries, is being exposed by Animals Australia thanks to some courageous former lab workers who provided footage and documentation to this animal welfare organisation.
Like many people I was under the impression testing on animals was largely a thing of the past. Not so. Thank goodness there are people around the globe pushing for a transition away from this cruel practice – that is rarely relevant in the context of human response to these chemicals anyway given the significant biological and physiological differences humans have from species being subjected to these shocking tests.
Badger the beagle was a rescue dog, and doesn’t know how fortunate he is. The article also told the heart-warming story of a female beagle rescued from her lab testing existence, one that also included producing multiple litters of puppies for the toxicity testing lab. Too many others, sadly, are unlikely to be lucky enough to enjoy a few years at least of a happier life.
So well done Animals Australia and Animals International and if you want to learn more go to www.Toxicity.inc
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