"They are essentially in solitary confinement.”
That's how I described Hercules and Leo's critical situation in a first of its kind hearing before the New York County Supreme Court, as reported in The Chicago Tribune. Prisoners whose only crime was being born nonhuman.
That is why we established the Personhood Fund: a special new tax-deductible fund to help cover the court costs of our animal plaintiffs. But we have only one week left before we have to close the books! Click here to make an immediate contribution.
When we learned that the University of Louisiana’s New Iberia Research Center had finally decided to send Hercules, Leo, and 218 other imprisoned chimpanzees to sanctuary, we knew our legal and public pressure had finally paid off. It is beyond inspiring to think that 220 chimps are being freed because we all came together.
Tommy, Kiko, and other unjustly imprisoned nonhuman animals are counting on us to fight for them in court, but we can only file as many lawsuits as we can afford. In the meantime, they will remain living in solitary confinement, deprived of rights because they are not human. This is why we need your help and why your contribution is so important.
Please follow this link to rush an immediate tax-deductible contribution of $25, $50, $100 or more to our Personhood Fund before the JUNE 30th MIDNIGHT DEADLINE. These animals are depending on us!
Save Lab Animals From Euthanasia.
Target: Andrew Cuomo, Governor of New York
Goal: Adopt former research animals into loving homes to save them from euthanasia.
Higher education research facilities could be required to send their dogs and cats to a shelter once their work is done thanks to a bill has recently passed the New York assembly. In 2014, scientists used over 59,000 dogs and 21,000 cats for research. The majority of these animals were not adopted. They were euthanized. Urge Governor Cuomo to sign the legislation and give former laboratory animals the safe, healthy lives they deserve.
There are federal laws that protect animals during research. There are requirements for pain management, food, and bedding. However, neither the federal government nor New York State has laws that protect animals after research. It is the lab workers choice whether or not to try and find homes for the animals they used when their research is complete.
Many of the animals used for research would be able to assimilate into a loving home. Research animals come from diverse sources including newspaper ads, auctions, and animal shelters. The legality of taking animals from shelters, a practice known as pound seizure, varies from state to state. In addition, there are many organizations dedicated to helping former research animals including New Life Animal Santuary, the Beagle Freedom Project, Animal Rescue Corps, and Kindness Ranch. All of these organizations work with cats and dogs.
Euthanasia of lab animals should be a last resort, not a go-to option. Call on Governor Cuomo to support the new legislation and protect former lab animals.
Dear Governor Cuomo,
The New York assembly recently passed bi-partisan legislation to give laboratory cats and dogs a loving home after the institutions using them finish their research. This legislation requires higher education facilities to adopt out the animals they use instead of euthanizing them. Over 59,000 dogs and 21,000 cats were utilized for research in 2014. The majority of these animals were later euthanized. Sign this legislation and ensure that lab animals are treated humanely after research.
Adoption for former lab animals is a viable option. Lab animals come from a variety of settings including newspaper ads, auctions, and shelters. In addition, there are plenty of organizations that specialize in caring for former lab animals including New Life Animal Santuary, the Beagle Freedom Project, Animal Rescue Corps, and Kindness Ranch. Cats and dogs are accepted at all of these organizations.
Other states such as Minnesota, California, Connecticut, and Nevada all require higher education research facilities to adopt out their dogs and cats. Join this group of progressive states and give lab animals the chance for a loving home.
Sincerely,
[Your Name Here]
Photo credit: Qole PejorianInspiring Photo of Former Lab Beagle Shows Just How Far a Little Love Can Go! When most people think about animals used for testing and experiments, they imagine small rodents. We’ve been conditioned to think about “lab rats” dutifully and mindlessly running through mazes in the pursuit of cheese, but we are never told that there are other animals who are also subject to horrific lives in laboratories. In fact, in addition to monkeys, cats, bats, and countless other animal species, dogs are the common victims of cruel testing.
Beagles are the breed of choice for testing in the pharmaceutical industry due to their docile nature. In labs, they undergo extreme pain and are poisoned with experimental substances via force-feeding, injection, or skin application, in order to measure toxicity. Instead of getting to experience all of the love and joy that comes with being a beloved companion, these dogs know nothing but pain and fear for the duration of their lives in captivity. To make matters even more tragic, most dogs are euthanized after their trails are over.
Thankfully, there is an amazing organization dedicated to giving beagles, and other animals, a chance at life outside of the cold, concrete walls of labs: Beagle Freedom Project.
This organization works with laboratories to arrange for the release of their animals once tests are completed. They then help to rehabilitate these dogs – many of whom are terrified of humans and have no idea what it means to be a dog – and find them caring forever homes.
While life outside of the lab is difficult at first for many of these pups, most are not house broken and maintain strange coping mechanisms such as hoarding food or acting out aggressively, once they finally learn that they are safe and loved – things take a miraculous turn!
All it takes is one look at this photo to understand the power of freedom!
There is nothing that warms our hearts more than knowing that a better life is possible for former lab animals. You can help make more happy endings like this one possible by supporting the incredible work of Beagle Freedom Project.
We hope to see one day where all dogs get to know this freedom. Until then, share this post and encourage others to learn more! All image source: Beagle Freedom Project/Instagram
History was just made. Today, I was part of a small group invited to watch President Obama sign the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act into law, which will reform the way chemicals are regulated. Language in the law will save hundreds of thousands of lives by replacing animal tests with human-relevant alternatives!
This victory is years in the making and wouldn't have been possible without you.
Since 1985, the entire Physicians Committee community has come together time and time again to stand up for animals, people, and the planet. This most recent victory will require human-relevant, animal-free methods for chemical testing. Our supporters flooded Congress with more than 80,000 phone calls and e-mails demanding reforms to legislative proposals based on decades-old science. What could have been a disaster for animals will now revolutionize chemical testing.
This is a huge milestone and leap forward, but our work is far from done. Animal experiments are still widely used by pesticide, pharmaceutical, cosmetics, and other consumer product industries. Modern testing methods need to replace flawed science based on animal experiments. Today's historic victory demonstrates that the future of science can also be cruelty-free. Please help us continue this momentum by making a donation today.
It's official! Today, President Barack Obama signed the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act into law, marking the beginning of the end of animal use in chemical testing.
"This law reflects the transformation in toxicity testing that PETA scientists have worked tirelessly to achieve," says Jessica Sandler, PETA's vice president for regulatory testing. "For decades, PETA has campaigned against the use of animals in chemical testing, funded the development of non-animal testing methods, challenged the status quo, and helped regulators and industry move away from animal use—and now animals, humans, and the environment will reap the benefits. We are overjoyed that this law will better protect all living beings and the environment."
And of course, we could not have achieved this victory without the help of more than 50,000 PETA supporters who jumped into action and urged their U.S. legislators to support this vital measure. Thank you to everyone who took action!
"This law reflects the transformation in toxicity testing that PETA scientists have worked tirelessly to achieve," says Jessica Sandler, PETA's vice president for regulatory testing. "For decades, PETA has campaigned against the use of animals in chemical testing, funded the development of non-animal testing methods, challenged the status quo, and helped regulators and industry move away from animal use—and now animals, humans, and the environment will reap the benefits. We are overjoyed that this law will better protect all living beings and the environment."
And of course, we could not have achieved this victory without the help of more than 50,000 PETA supporters who jumped into action and urged their U.S. legislators to support this vital measure. Thank you to everyone who took action!
The sad life of elephant Nosey who, as I write, is still being exploited by her human “owner” in traveling circuses, fairs, and festivals all over the US, is emblematic of the suffering we are working to confront and bring to an end.
Legally vulnerable animals like Nosey have spent their whole lives being used by humans. Haven’t they suffered enough?
We at the NhRP think so.
That is why I just instructed my team to establish the Personhood Fund. This special fund will allow individuals to make tax-deductible donations to help cover the costs of all our current and upcoming animal cases. What we raise now will help determine how many cases we are able to bring and how much awareness we can raise about the importance of nonhuman rights.
Our end of quarter deadline is 9 days away and we need your help to give these animals the rights they deserve. Click here to donate to the Personhood Fund.
You will be helping to secure the freedom of self-aware, autonomous animals all across the country.
Learn more about this historic legislation that will spare countless animals' lives, and help us continue making progress for all animals who suffer in laboratories:
