3.79 million scientific procedures conducted on animals in 2017, UK Reports on Animal Use, Cruelty-Free Cosmetics Act (SB 1249), 270 NIH-owned chimpanzees still waiting to be moved from labs, Ingrid Newkirk’s book “Free the Animals., University of Pennsylvania, Report Finds Scientific Procedures Involving Animals Are at an All Time Low, Alicia Silverstone, Animal Testing Updates

In 2017, 3.79 million scientific procedures were conducted on animals including mice, rats, dogs, and monkeys. "Frankenscience" procedures – whereby scientists create, breed, and experiment with genetically modified animals – made up 69.2 per cent of the total.

In such experiments, female animals are first injected with hormones before either undergoing abdominal surgery or being crudely killed so that their eggs can be harvested. Others are forced into surrogacy, and modified embryos are surgically implanted in their wombs.

Yet these genetic modification procedures are rarely successful. Many pregnancies fail, and of those animals who are born, only 1 to 30 per cent carry the genes of interest to experimenters. Those who don't are killed soon after birth – disposed of as nothing more than laboratory waste.


To put an end to destructive and cruel experiments, we must act now.
Transcripts and videotape of traumatic head injury tests at the University of Pennsylvania. Following a PETA campaign, these experiments on baboons were halted. You can read more about this thrilling story in PETA President Ingrid Newkirk’s book “Free the Animals.” 
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PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) 

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True Blood’s Kristin Bauer van Straten on the Cruelty-Free Cosmetics Act

Kristin Bauer van Straten, who starred on HBO’s True Blood, joins the Physicians Committee’s Exam Room podcast to talk about cruelty-free cosmetics on the film set and lobbying for the California Cruelty-Free Cosmetics Act. Listen > 
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Physicians Committee Billboards Urge a Minneapolis Medical Center to End Live Animal Use

Five mobile billboards that circled Hennepin Healthcare in Minneapolis on July 25 urged the institution’s board of directors to end live animal use in emergency medicine training. The day also included a physician-led demonstration and the delivery of more than 72,000 petitions.
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Nearly 270 NIH-owned and -supported chimpanzees are still waiting to be moved from laboratories to their rightful, retirement home, Chimp Haven. Most have literally waited a lifetime for a chance at sanctuary. But now these labs want to deny the chimps of what they so deserve, and NIH is poised to bow to their pressure.

At this critical moment, we need to raise our voices in their defense and tell NIH to send all chimpanzees to ‘real’ retirement at Chimp Haven.

Only a sanctuary can provide the specialized care that animals need to heal and find peace. Yet NIH has continually failed to ensure that these animals are moved to Chimp Haven and, in fact, has allowed labs to roadblock these efforts.

Tell NIH to send all government-owned and –supported chimpanzees to their rightful home at Chimp Haven. Deadline to submit comments is August 10!
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Funding for Models to Replace Animals
AAVS’s affiliate, the Alternatives Research & Development Foundation (ARDF), recently announced the 2018 grant recipients of its Annual Open Grant program. “The work being done by this year’s recipients is especially impressive,” stated AAVS and ARDF President Sue Leary. “Three are biochips of organs that mimic specific diseases, another is a model of metastasized breast cancer, and there’s also a study focused on cellular communication and its role in spreading disease throughout the body. All have far reaching potential in biomedical research and testing, without the use of animals.” READ MORE »
Taking Action For Animals
AAVS was happy to be a part of this year’s Taking Action For Animals (TAFA) conference that was held in Arlington, Virginia, July 20-22. AAVS sponsored the Welcome Reception that opened the weekend event, as well as a talk about animal rights as a historical social movement, which paired well with our most recent edition of the AV Magazine, celebrating 125 years of reporting about animal issues. Several staff members represented AAVS, as well as Animalearn, and the Leaping Bunny Program. Be sure to check out our photos posted on Facebook. SEE MORE »
UK Reports on Animal Use in Labs
Earlier this month, the UK released its 2017 “Annual Statistics of Scientific Procedures on Living Animals.” It reports that 3.79 million procedures using live animals were performed in 2017. Half of these were for breeding genetically modified animals, nearly 90% being mice. Many believe that animal use in the UK reflects that in the U.S. The major difference between the two is that, in the U.S., mice do not fall under the legal definition of animal and, therefore, are not counted and not afforded the minimal levels of care and treatment outlined in the Animal Welfare Act. Further, the U.S. doesn’t require labs to report the purposes of animal use (regulatory, biomedical, training, breeding, etc.) as they do in the UK. READ MORE »
Can California Ban Animal Tested Cosmetics?
Yes, it could. The California legislature is currently considering the Cruelty-Free Cosmetics Act (SB 1249). The bill would prevent the sale of cosmetics that have been tested on animals and/or contain animal tested ingredients. This could be a landmark piece of legislation in the U.S. It could also spur enactment of a national bill that would end the use of animals to test cosmetics in our country. If you live in California, find your state senator, and ask him/her to support the California Cruelty-Free Cosmetics Act. READ MORE »