Photos From The 8th Animal Awareness Day Today

Here are some photos from Dr Veeranoot.

Being a work day, it wasn’t possible for us to attend. We would like to thank Dr Veeranoot’s team for setting up and manning our booth. Thank you very, very much, dear friends!

A youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-K2PtMNvqvI&feature=youtu.be

Thank you very much, Dr Veeranoot, your incredible team, all supporters and everyone who has contributed to this twice-yearly event to raise the awareness that animals need kindness and we can all do our part to help them!

In conjunction with this event, Dr Veeranoot writes about animal testing (article below). We hope institutions of higher learning as well as research will move towards using more compassionate alternatives and options which do not require the use of any animals.

Animal Testing – Good? Bad? Who knows?

As we celebrate the 111th anniversary of the founding of our university, we can look back to see how far we have progressed. In the instance of animal welfare, the continuing use of animal testing in our university is an important and relevant topic for discussion as part of our twice a year charitable event. It is therefore not surprising if the question arises as to why although “Animal Awareness Day” has been organized for the past few years yet animals are still being utilized especially in biomedical research laboratories in this institution and elsewhere. According to the theory of evolution, animals have been here since the dawn of time, before the human species. Since the Stone Age, animals were mainly used as foods, labour and of course wars. In the modern era, the well-being of animals is being threatened as they are being increasingly exploited.

Animal testing is defined as the experimentation performed on animals to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of drugs or chemicals used in medicine, food additives, household products, pesticides, supplements, industrial chemical and cosmetics, as well as to understand how the human body works. Laboratory animal is a controversial issue that has gained global attention as we debate on animal rights and ethical issues not only in institutions of higher learning but also in military laboratories, chemical and pharmaceutical industries worldwide. In addition, there are many questions posed on the role of animals, whether they are necessary in biomedical research, or as suitable candidates for research on human diseases. Laboratory animals used in cosmetic testing or repetitive experiments suffer from pain and subjected to abuse and mistreatment. A strict laboratory protocol should be in place to ensure laboratory animals are treated compassionately and humanely. They should be under veterinarian care during the studies, be euthanized after their sacrifices and their well-being should be protected by laws. Alternatives to animal testing should be explored and used.

The contributions of laboratory animals have been recognized in the fields of human and veterinary medicine. Both drugs and vaccines have been developed to prevent and treat diseases in humans and have improved the lives of countless animals (i.e., pets, farm animals and wildlife). Because of laboratory animals, we are able to live longer, healthier and more comfortable. For human benefits, animal research has exposed the myths and mysteries of human diseases during the past century. The results are historically recorded in all major medical discoveries, namely vaccines, open heart surgery, solid organs transplantation, antibiotics, medications and artificial blood vessels. In animal care today, animal research has also led to the development of animal vaccines and many other advances in veterinary medicine. In short, because of animal testing medical science has moved our species beyond imagination.

However, it is heartbreaking to list down the inhumane aspects of animal testing. It is estimated that over 100 million animals are used globally in various experiments each year. Of this, USA, Japan, China, Australia, France, Canada, the UK, Germany, Taiwan and Brazil are among the top ten animal testing countries. Animal experiments are sadly still on the rise in many parts of the world. In USA, mice, rats, birds, reptiles and amphibians used in the laboratory are exempted from even the minimal protection under the Animal Welfare Act (AWA) and there is no requirement for the use of alternative sources to replace these animals. It is therefore a high time for us to seriously ponder whether one is a human or an animal, or whether there is any difference in one’s ability to feel happy and fear pain just as one wants to live and not die.

Unfortunately, animal testing, as a matter of fact, will continue to exist as far as biomedical research is concerned. However, there is still hope the practice will change, albeit gradually. In recent years, one can witness the progress in the fight against animal testing. Johns Hopkins University, a world leading institution, has stopped using live animals in medical education and has created a center for alternatives to animal testing (CAAT). Along this line, the European Union, which consists of 28 member countries and also the world’s largest cosmetic market, Israel and India have already banned animal testing for cosmetics, and the sale or import of newly animal-tested beauty products. In addition, alternative practices of the “3 R’s” have been introduced in many countries as the benchmark policy. The “3 R’s” are reduction in the number of animals used in a procedure, refines a procedure to alleviate or minimize potential animal pain, and replaces with non-animal techniques in research and teaching. In addition, animal ethics and law enforcement should be strictly implemented for the benefits of animals and their well-being. In conclusion, animals should not be viewed as mere objects for research and education. A commitment by governments, educational institutions, research and the community is required to bring about a radical change in research methodology and teaching curriculum to further eliminate the use of animals in these areas. We can hope that the best outcome of all these efforts to eliminate animal testing is to provide a better, safer and more humane future for both humans and animals.

Source: https://myanimalcare.org/2016/10/11/photos-from-the-8th-anim..

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AnimalCare is a registered society that promotes caregiving to street animals and helps in their neutering and medical needs. AnimalCare has a Medical Fund, Food Fund and Education Fund.

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