Liberated (retired) Chimpanzees See The Sky For The First Time

Please read this:�http://www.care2.com/causes/watch-liberated-research-chimps-see-the-sky-for-the-first-time.html

…more than 100 government-owned chimpanzees at the New Iberia Research Center, a laboratory in Louisiana, will be retired to the federal chimpanzee sanctuary Chimp Haven, providing sufficient funds are in place to construct the necessary facilities. It is estimated that this will cost upwards of $2.3 million, funds the government will not be able to provide in their entirety due to its spending cap having been reached.

Many of the chimps, some of them now over 50 years of age, will have endured a life-time being subjected to oftentimes invasive medical tests.

The process toward liberating chimpanzees from biomedical research facilities has been a long one.

Just a week ago, we heard that our very own Search and Rescue dogs were put down because they could no longer perform their duties effectively. We can only hope our authorities will consider something like this “Chimp Haven” for retired service-animals.

However, having said that, we certainly do NOT condone nor support the use of animals in any form of “service” per se. Animals are our companions and friends, and ought to be treated respectfully and lovingly as such. If they reciprocate by looking after us, we are grateful. If they do not, we cannot force them to or worse, destroy them because they are no longer “useful” to us.

BUT…some quarters still feel that animals can be used to serve us humans and we recognise that in reality, it is not easy to change such mindset in a short time. Hence, if animals continue to be used for some sort of service (be it as guard-dogs, service-dogs, etc.), let them retire gracefully and let them live out their natural lives. To destroy them when they are no longer useful to us is a very cruel and ungrateful act.

We have always objected in the strongest terms to the use of animals in research (as in the case of the chimpanzees mentioned in the article above). Perhaps the only consolation is that there is such a thing as this “Chimp Haven” where the animals who have survived the years of research can finally retire peacefully and live out their natural lives. Taken at face value, this is a consolation, albeit a small one.

This comment below, extracted from the link above, absolutely echoes our concern:

I’m thrilled that these emotional, intelligent chimpanzees/individuals are finally getting some peace, kindness, and respect. But please don’t talk about what they “gave” us. They didn’t give anything to science; they had it forcibly taken from them. The concept of giving implies informed consent, which they did not give. Most of them are very sick and emotionally damaged because humans infected them with diseases, poked and prodded them, confined them to dingy, isolated cages, without any regard for their welfare. The researchers have a lot to answer for, and NO, I don’t believe that the ends justifies the means.

The ends certainly does NOT justify the means.
Please say NO to animal testing.

Source: http://myanimalcare.org/2013/03/14/liberated-retired-chimpanzees-see-the-sky-for-the-first-time/

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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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