This is an animal testing story which concerns the UK. As at the date of this post, there appears to be only one newspaper reporting this story namely the Daily Mirror.
As Animal Aid director Andrew Tyler states this is a horror story about research scientist torturing domestic kittens and cats. Andrew Tyler used the word “torture” and I agree with him.
When research scientists break the skulls of cats and insert electrodes into their brains and when scientists make incisions into a cat’s body to allow them to insert electrodes into the spinal-cord while the spinal-cord is exposed then despite the fact that the cats are anaesthetised, this is torturing cats and as far as I am concerned it is an example of gross cat cruelty, which, but for the fact that it is meant to be done for scientific research, would be a serious crime in the UK with an appropriate punishment on conviction. The activity mirrors those of a cat hater torturing cats; news stories that are not uncommon in the online press.
I’m not sure when this actually happened but it appears to have taken place at University College, London which is in central London. It may have taken place about two years ago but I’m not sure.
The reasons for this sort of abusive Frankenstein-like scientific research is unclear from what I read in the Daily Mirror. The newspaper simply states that the research was carried out “to understand the human body better”.
Wendy Higgins of Humane Society International UK confirms that the cats would have suffered considerably and she makes a very good point, but in truth it is an obvious point to any decent person namely that his sort of animal cruelty is out of date and should be consigned to history.
To be fair to the other side of the argument, there are many people who think that animal testing and research is important for the welfare of people. The big companies who participate in this state they couldn’t do without it. Animal advocates say there are alternatives that are equally effective. People like me out abhor animal testing of all kinds.
I have noticed that about 6 months ago the Huffington Post (UK branch) reported on allegations of “appalling animal suffering and wrongdoing” at Imperial College, London. The allegations were made by the British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection (BUAV), who identify a lack of training and supervision together with ethical reviews at the research facility.
BUAV added: “if such criticisms can be levelled at one of the world’s leading universities, then it is inevitable that similar issues arise in research establishment all over the country.” Good point.
BUAV highlighted poor surgical procedures and a failure to provide adequate pain control. Apparently a guillotine was allegedly used to decapitate animals alive.
It would seem, then, that the recent report by the Daily Mirror is indicative of an ongoing problem at London University. It is surely time to begin ending animal testing of any kind. It is unjustifiable. Humans are no more valuable than animals so why should one submit to experiments and then be killed and dumped for the benefit of the other?
Associated: Animal testing facts – product labelling and animal testing for cosmetics.
this is just GROSS and TOTCHER
Thanks for commenting. Never heard of ‘totcher’ before. What does it mean?
The trouble is, this has been going on for years now in various places! 48 years ago I joined the BUAV (British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection) after seeing pictures of a cat in a research lab with a contraption screwed on his head and one enlarged pupil from the experiment.
I still have the image in my mind.
Scientists have no feelings for animals, there is supposed to be regulations for their humane treatment but we know from under cover brave anti vivisectionists, that many animals are abused as well as being tortured.
One example bad enough but there are worse, a live mouse was left all night with its head in a clamp needlessly!
People donate millions to Cancer Research UK, they think it’s good thing, but some of that money goes to buy animals and the instruments to torture them with!
Kittens at a Cardiff University are having their eyes sewed shut and some kept in total darkness with one eye sewed etc etc……Cruel experiments have never ended and are unlikely to in the foreseeable future. It’s the same old story, although technology could be used now, animal life is cheap to scientists! We don’t know the half of what happens in laboratories!
http://www.change.org/en-GB/petitions/stop-kitten-experiments-at-cardiff-university
You’re right, it has been going on for years. I thought there were at least better controls and standards. This is brutal and clearly wrong to all but the most insensitive person. It amazes me how scientists can be so cold about animal abuse. I have the same attitude towards them as I do towards American vets. I have a disdain for them.
I hate them like poison! I’d never use violence myself but I can understand why activists cause trouble for scientists and raid labs to rescue animals, they are so angry they have to do something. But they only end up in prison and then can’t help any animal from there.
The government don’t care about animals, they want to bring back fox hunting. They give money for scientific research on animals but none to humane research like Dr Hadwen Trust. We should be progressing towards more humanity to all animals, not doing the opposite!
Omg that needs to stop. I hope cat and all animal lovers will make a big stink about it and get the UK making a law of no more animal research. A law like that needs to be in all countries !
It is shocking. Despite the reputation for being animal lovers, animal testing is thriving her. The European Union has regulations but whose monitoring? There is no chance of a law being introduced to curb it because business wins and the conservatives are in power.
P.S. This is a second attempt at this story because I think it is important enough. The other article is on a subdomain blog site. I hope people will bear with me in doing it twice — Elisa asks what makes me mad in the cat world and animal testing with cats is one of those things that makes me mad and motivates me to write about it.