No animal testing at the Canadian Centre for Alternatives to Animal Methods

I have to write about this. It is a research centre (CCAAM) which uses alternative methods to do research which would have been done on animals. This is so important. Animal testing looks increasingly outdated and plain cruel and I’m told that 95% of drugs proved to be effective on animals in tests fail in human clinical trials. Tests on animals more often than not don’t help scientists.

Charu Chandrasekera, executive director of the Canadian Centre for Alternatives to Animal Methods at the University of Windsor is shown with Eric Margolis from the Eric S. Margolis Family Foundation on Thursday, October 10, 2019 at the Windsor campus. The Margolis family donated $1,000,000 to the new lab. Photo: DAN JANISSE / WINDSOR STAR

A one million dollar gift to the University of Windsor in Windsor, Ontario, Canada, by Eric S. Margolis Family Foundation allowed the institution to open Canada’s first research centre for alternatives to animal testing. The main laboratory is called the Eric S. Margolis Research and Training Laboratory for Alternatives to Animal Methods.

The picture shows Charu Chandrasekera, the executive director of the center and Eric Margolis.

“I have always hated animal cruelty. And animal testing is barbaric and extreme.” – Eric Margolis.

“To stop any and all animal testing is one of my heart’s main projects and second, it’s here in dear old Windsor. Windsor is just the right place for it.” – Eric Margolis.

Chandrasekera said that there is a worldwide move away from animal testing.

“We have to think beyond animals. We need to join 21st century science and use human-based biology methods.” – Chandrasekera

There are better way and this facility brings testing into the 21st century.

“If we can do something without harming animals, why wouldn’t we…” – WECDSB superintendent Dan Fister.

Cats are one of the animals used in animal testing facilities. Relative to mice they are used rarely. A recent high profile case caused outrage: America’s USDA’s long term animal testing on young cats to research into toxoplasmosis (see image link below). It was stopped after the intervention of a couple of senators after new law was created.

Source: Windsor Star online.

SOME POSTS ON ANIMAL TESTING…