Setting the beagles free
BY NICK BARNETTIt's good news. In New Jersey, a research laboratory went bankrupt, leaving dozens of beagles with no clear future. A bunch of volunteers freed them and found homes for them.
If you watch that video, you'll see a vanload of crated beagles let out into the open air for the first time in their lives. You'll see one of the dogs step gingerly on the grass - because it had never before seen or felt it.
The dogs' tails wag with excitement at an experience that they'd possibly never known - people talking to them and petting them as beautiful animals.
One of the dogs, nervous to start with, settles on the lap of a Pets Alive volunteer and allows itself to be stroked and calmed for possibly the first time in its life.
What a tangle of emotions I felt watching that clip: joy that the dogs would now have homes, sorrow, sympathy, fear that in some way the beagles had been ruined, physically or mentally, despair that so many more dogs - and other species - are living their lives as subjects for experiment.
If you think that reaction was intellectually insufficient, then please sue me. The arguments for and against vivisection haven't exactly passed me by, and I've thought hard about the issue. I've hesitated to blog about the subject because it's so big and such a loose fit on me.
But this video clip literally brings a reality into the sunlight: these are animals no different from the ones that live a "normal" life all around us. Personally, I think it's as well that I get reminded of this occasionally because usually we don't see it, and because people's emotional responses on this subject are relevant - they signal that common values are being affronted.
I'm so glad there are people gentle and generous enough to take action in this way to improve the lives of animals. May those beagles quickly grow used to the smell of grass and the sound of a kind owner's voice. Can they forget the past? I hope so.
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It's so nice to read something positive out of what once was a horrific situation for the beagles. They are such beautiful natured animals and they in no way deserve the barbaric treatment that they are put through. There is a facebook group called "Why do we test on animals when we have paedophiles sitting in prisons?" - and I think that sums up my feelings perfectly!
That brought a tear to my eye. I understand that amazing medicines etc come out of testing on animals - BUT some pretty un necessary things are invented and tested on animals too (cosmetics?? Hello! Is looking pretty really worth sacrificing another living beings life over?). I hope those beagles live long and happy lives, they deserve it after what they have been through
ooh I must join that group chrissy!!
In the medical or veterinary profession medication, products and goods are used that have all been tested on animals at one stage or another. Unfortunately if you worked in these professions you don't have much choice as what you have to use in your job. The pharmacy companies, both animal and human, have alot to answer for. They make living ethically hard.
Wow that got the tears flowing. I still cant believe they do this to animals! The dogs were amazing so clam and trusting...
I watched this with the sound off and there were tears in my eyes. I can understand both sides of the argument of testing on animals but I fall on the side of not agreeing with it. Surely with technological advances they can do the testing without involving animals? The sad thing is that it's so hard to escape buying any product that hasn't been tested on animals. Ok, the finished product probably hasn't been [tested on animals] but what about the individual ingredients in the product (I'm thinking skin care companies here)? There's a lot of clever marketing going on.
Glad to see some publicity on this.. Torture of animals continues to happen all around us, we just don't see it everyday. It is kept behind closed doors for a reason: it's wrong. No two ways about it. Chrissy- that facebook page sums it all up nicely. Ctase - Good point re: clever marketing, I always buy products 'not tested on animals' but I never really thought about the individual ingredients! How does one get around that??
Ctase #7
Yes there have been a lot of advances in science and technology. Unfortunately the human body is a complicated thing and most of the "technology advances" involve testing something in isolation - ie testing a possible liver drug on liver cells. The problem with the human body is that all sorts of weird and wonderful things happen when you change one thing. A drug that may do what you want it to do in the liver may have a waste product that turns out to be damaging to the heart. Unless the drug is tested on a "living system - you often will not find this out until too late. Some may remember the problems with the drug Vioxx - after long term use many patients started have heart attacks. Because the drug appeared to work so well, the trials were cut short and people died...
I owe my live to animal experiments, and I do see that there is a need for animals in science and medicine, however I do firmly believe that there are good and bad researchers, the same as there are good and bad pet owners. Rather than "all animal research is wrong" I would like to see "badly looked after and badly executed animal research is bad"
Yes I have worked im biomedical research, and to be honest, as a masters student I would have rather lived in the animal house (rats and mice) than in my student flat. The mice had their room warmed to 23 degrees all the time, they had a radio on all day (helps make them less stressed when they hear noises from the corridors, as they are used to noises) oh, and I was in there 2x a day cleaning cages and feeding them... their diet was much more balanced than mine was! To stop them getting bored, they have toys in their cages too. Actually many "lab" rats and mice are better cared for than family pet rats and mice.
A major theme for animal research is "reduce and reuse" - the aim is to reduce the amount of animals needed for testing, and to reuse animals where possible. (my experience is in rat and mice research) Also a lot of money is now spent by researching in "animal enrichment" as it has been realised that if the animals are happy and not bored, the results you get a more vaild.
Oh my god - I have tears streaming down my face!
The sad thing is testing on beagles is happening right here in NZ too! Valley Animal Research Centre has labs in Hawkes Bay and Manawatu where they test on beagles and cats. And the reason they use beagles is because of their trusting nature.
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Beautiful! It is heartwarming to know they will now live like normal dogs should.. A world without animal testing would be a lovely one.. however unrealistic it may be.. I to have read the for and against arguements and many books and i have my opinion for sure..