Japan ends pesticide testing on beagles after study senseless

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Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries has abolished requirements for year-long pesticide poisoning tests on beagles which included weed and pest nuisance killers. Their decision is based on a two-year study showing the testing on dogs provided little value, are redundant and provide little value when determining safe exposure levels for humans.

In a press release published by the Humane Society International, as many as 32 beagles were fed poisoned foods laced with pesticides every day for a year. They were then killed and their internal organs examined to determine the toxicity levels. Testing like this has been done to thousands of animals for the past 20 years.

“We commend the Japanese government for eliminating this unnecessary and inhumane test from its pesticide data requirements, but are disappointed that it has taken some countries nearly 20 years to take action despite compelling scientific evidence. Better and more rapid global harmonization of pesticide data requirements and approaches to risk assessment are needed so that all countries swing into action immediately once a scientific case is established for the removal of an animal test requirement. It is unacceptable that dogs have been made to suffer needlessly for two decades simply because countries are dragging their feet,” stated Troy Seidle, HSI vice president for research and toxicology.

South Korea is the last major market still to require the one-year dog test for pesticides. Governments of the European Union, United States and Canada  have already eliminated the testing saving thousands of dogs from being locked in cages and forced to eat and breathe pesticides for their entire lives before being killed and dissected.

Beagles are the most used dogs for animal testing because of their size and they trust humans the most of all breeds. It is estimated more than 75,000 dogs become part of experiments in United States laboratories every year.

Find out how you can help by contacting the The Rescue & Freedom Project.

(Photo of beagles via The Rescue & Freedom Project Facebook)

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Nine breeder dogs found stuffed in a small cage that was dumped in an alley – read more here.

Caged breeder dogs dumped in an alley

Russian scientists tortured dogs testing deadly nerve gas used in UK

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Russian scientists at the Chemical Research Institute in Nukus, Uzbekistan, killed and tortured thousands of dogs testing the effects of the nerve agent Novichok used to attack a former Russian spy and his daughter last week in the United Kingdom.

According to AbcNews, scientists would make the dogs wear gas masks and walk on treadmills during the experiments until they died. The dogs were administered Novichok, which was allegedly used on Sergei Skripal, 66, and his daughter Yulia, 33 who had been in Salisbury. A United States expert  reported seeing the dogs on the 25 treadmills and kept in small cages until it was their time to be the test subjects. Thousands died from exposure to the agent.

Vil Mirzayanov, 83, a Russian scientist who co-developed the toxin, said he had no doubt President Vladimir Putin was responsible, given Russia maintained tight control and security over Novichok.  Mirzayanov contends the agent is too complicated to have been developed by any other country. New information has come out that Yulia had been in a relationship with a man working directly with Vladimir Putin. Intelligence agencies may be theorizing that the toxin was saturated in an item of clothing or cosmetics or in a gift that was opened by Skripal in Salisbury, Wiltshire.

“The Kremlin all the time, like all criminals, denying — it doesn’t mean anything,” Dr Mirzayanov said in an interview in his home in Princeton, New Jersey, where he has been living in exile for decades.

“Novichok attacks the nervous system, making it impossible for victims to breathe, and causing unimaginable pain,” stated Dr Mirzayanov, who said he watched countless lab animals, including mice, rats and dogs, subjected to the poison.

“It’s torture,” he said. “It’s absolutely incurable.”

Experts from the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons are expected to arrive in the United Kingdom this week to test samples of the nerve gas. Russia has adamantly denied the allegations and blames the United Kingdom for deliberately trying to interfere in Russia’s reelection campaign for Putin. Moscow has not explained how one of their nerve agents ended up in the U.K. The United States, France and Germany all support the United Kingdom.

(Photos screenshots via the Sun)

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China lab breeds genetically designed dogs with medical maladies for experiments

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In Beijng, China, a laboratory is breeding genetically designed dogs with medical disorders for research. According to CNN, the puppies are genetically identical, and it is likely they will become sick and die at a young age, as they are only being cloned for medical research.

Scientists claim that dogs have similar inheritable diseases as humans, making them excellent disease subjects to study. The method using puppies has become extremely controversial since the news has spread quickly through social media. There are no animal cruelty laws for animals used for testing in China- thus the dogs will spend their lives in cages as test subjects.

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals in China contends computer modeling and using human tissue samples is just as precise and effective. Researchers will initially study heart disease in the dogs and as relates to humans. The puppy, named Longlone has been ill since birth – which is what was intended as the scientists study more into the diseases of  the heart and its possible cures.

Longlone is the world’s first dog cloned from a gene-edited dog. The company called Sinogene has cloned two other puppies. As of this date, the dogs have not shown any symptoms of atherosclerosis, a blood-clotting disorder, but they are being closely monitored.

Animal advocates state the money used for funding such research should be used to help homeless pets rather than create more animals – imagine the millions of dogs and cats and other companion animals that could be saved instead of being euthanized? Somewhere scientists have to create a balance between animal welfare and scientific experiments at the expense and suffering of the pets who most humans call part of their “families.”

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Continue reading: Boy’s reaction to Christmas puppy has gone viral

 

 

Breaking!! State passes Beagle Freedom Law

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After a great deal of work, another state (make this the sixth!) has passed the Beagle Freedom Law. The great news was announced to followers of the Beagle Freedom Project, the agency which negotiates with laboratories to secure the release of dogs (and other animals) who have been used for research.

According to the organization, Illinois is the latest state to pass the law – they wrote:

This law means that laboratories that use dogs and cats in experiments must now offer them up to public adoption.

Passage of the law, which will give laboratory animals the chance to enjoy a normal, happy life, didn’t happen without a fight. BFP wrote:

It took countless calls, emails, letters, and visits to Springfield to make this happen – but the Beagle Freedom community did not relent and would not give up. The opposition got ugly and we all were collectively challenged to “fight like hell” – and we did!

It’s a fight that was worth the effort – please share this amazing news with other animal lovers!!

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N.J. hospital abandons killing dogs used in medical school training

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The Morristown Medical Center announced on Thursday they will abandon the use of killing dogs used in medical school training for emergency residents. The new policy came just days after the medical group, the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, a Washington D.C. non-profit organization, paid for three billboard advertisements aimed at bringing attention to the medical center for killing dogs while teaching medical procedures.

The hospital had previously been defending its position, stating they were using dogs in an off-site lab during a single, four-hour course to demonstrate surgical procedures. Even if the dogs survived the invasive procedures, they were euthanized after the sessions. According to NJ.com, the revised announcement came out early Thursday afternoon in a press release:

“Having reviewed current widespread practices and replacements for animal use, Morristown Medical Center has determined that the use of animals is not essential for training of emergency medicine physicians. As such, Morristown Medical Center will begin using either simulators or cadavers for this specialized, annual training.

As we have said from the beginning, training our physicians and staff to provide the highest quality care for our patients is our priority and responsibility. We will continue to ensure that our emergency residents are able to safely and proficiently perform life-saving procedures.”

Since the billboards went up, the hospital had been receiving numerous emails and phone calls about their use of dogs. Cardiologist John Pippin, director of academic affairs for the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, stated officials at the hospital were anxious to stop the outpouring of criticism by changing their policy.

The billboards will now be taken down. This time the dogs won with some great help.

Read the prior story here.

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(Photo for killing dogs used in medical school via Beagle Freedom)