Wild Animal Ownership Limited in WV

This is not a pet.

Paws Up!
To The West Virginia legislature for passing the Dangerous Wild Animals Act.

According to a news story, “The West Virginia legislature has passed a bill that would prohibit the possession of dangerous wild animals in the state.” Under this bill, future ownership of wild animals, such as wild cats, bears, primates, venomous and constrictor snakes, and alligators, would be prohibited. The legislation has been sent to Governor Tomblin for his signature.

Take Action: West Virginia residents, contact your governor and urge him to sign the Dangerous Wild Animals Act into law. Residents of other states, make sure your state has adequate laws to protect its citizens against the unregulated ownership of wild animals.

Stop Airline from Shipping Primates to Research Laboratories

ABX Air continues to ship live primates for use in research laboratories.

ABX Air, a cargo airline company, is transporting live primates to research laboratories in the United States at a time when the National Institutes of Health is releasing many chimpanzees from research laboratories in the United States to appropriate, long-term sanctuaries. As more research organizations and countries end testing on laboratory animals for a variety of products, it’s time that ABX Air refuses to transport animals for research purposes.

Write a polite note to the CEO and president of ABX Air urging them to discontinue shipping primates for research purposes.

Joe Hete, CEO
John Starkovich, President
ABX Air, Inc.
145 Hunter Drive
Wilmington, OH 45177

Protect Our Relatives

Primates are wild animals, and should not live in a home environment with humans.

No one should have a primate as a pet. Cute cuddly monkeys grow into strong and sometimes aggressive adults. Chimps who are often performers on television and in the movies are retired while still young as they become more difficult to handle. Along with their strength and potentially aggressive behaviors toward us, these animals carry zoonotic diseases, such as Herpes B, salmonella, tuberculosis, and Ebola. Therefore, we need to protect us from them. Additionally, we need to protect them from us. Becoming a pet in someone’s home is not the right environment for a wild animal. The Captive Primate Safety Act, HR 2856 and S 1463, will correct these issues as it would stop the sale of primates between states for the exotic pet trade.

Write your representative and senators and urge them to support the Captive Primate Safety Act.

 

Airline Soars

Philippine Airlines has now joined several others in ending the transportation of primates for research purposes.

Paws Up!
To Philippine Airlines for joining with other air carriers that are refusing to transport primates for research purposes.

According to a news article, “…Philippine Airlines announc[ed] that it will end the transportation of primates for the purposes of cruel research and experimentation.”

Air France and China Southern Airlines are the only two carriers still transporting primates for research purposes.

The article went on to state, “[Philippine Airlines] reaffirmed that it is not currently engaged in the transport of wild, endangered, or threatened animals, regardless of their purpose.”

Take Action: The best action to take is to let organizations whose policies towards animals are in concert with yours know that you appreciate their actions. It’s also good to let those organizations whose policies toward animals are in conflict with your own know that you will not patronize them.

Lucio Tan, Chairman and CEO
Philippine Airlines, CEO
Corp. Communications Dept.
3F Mezzanine PNB Financial Center
Pres. Diosdado Macapagal Avenue
CCP Complex, Pasay City
Philippines
Tele. No.: 632-777-5995; 777-4800 loc 5401
Fax: 632-556-1893
E-mail: corpcomms@pal.com.ph

China Southern Airlines: Stop Transporting Animals to Laboratories

China Southern Airlines is continuing to ship primates around the world for research purposes.

Some airlines continue to ship primates to research facilities. China Southern Airlines is one such airline. These shipments must stop. With more and more organizations and countries ending testing on animals for a variety of products, it’s time China Southern Airlines stopped transporting one of our closest relatives to research laboratories.

Write a polite note to the CEO of China Southern Airlines urging him to discontinue shipping animals around the world for research purposes.

Tan Wangen, CEO
c/o Office of the Secretary of the Board
China Southern Airlines Company Limited
278 Ji Chang Road, Baiyun District
Guangzhou, Guangdong Province
China
Postcode: 510405

Air France: Stop Transporting Animals to Laboratories

Is this plane carrying animals to research centers?

Air France continues to transport live primates to research laboratories around the world at the same time the National Institutes of Health is releasing many chimpanzees from research laboratories in the United States to appropriate, long-term sanctuaries. As more research organizations and countries end testing on laboratory animals for a variety of products, it’s time that Air France join with other airlines in refusing to transport animals for research purposes.

Write a polite note to the CEO of Air France urging him to discontinue shipping animals around the world for research purposes.

Alexander De Juniac, CEO
Air France
c/o US Headquarters
142 West 57th Street
New York, NY 10019

Air Canada to Stop Shipping Primates to Laboratories

Paws Up!
To the Canadian Transportation Agency for approving a decision that gives Air Canada the right to refuse to ship primates to research laboratories and to Air Canada for heralding the decision.

Air Canada was one of the last major airlines to transport primates for research purposes.

According to a news story, “Air Canada, one of the few major airline companies that still transports primates for research, was given the go-ahead to stop moving macaques and other non-human primates bound for research labs, after a decision today from its regulatory agency, the Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA). The airline applauded the decision and said that, effective December 22, it will require all non-human primate shippers to sign a declaration that the animals are not intended for research or experiments.”

Instead of using animals, many scientists use human and animal cell, tissue, and organ cultures; chemical systems; blood products; sophisticated mathematical and computer simulations; and plastic organ models. Alternatives, such as Eytex Skintex® and epiPack, take the place of harmful tests on animals. Advances in tissue engineering and robotics, bioinformatics, genomics, proteomics, metabonomics, systems biology, and in silico (computer-based) systems offer alternatives to animal use. Animal testing can take months if not years at expenses ranging from hundreds of thousands of dollars to multi-millions of dollars, whereas computer modeling can take place instantaneously and at far lower costs, especially the cost to the animals and their suffering. In vitro tests involving human cell and tissue cultures are faster, cheaper, and more reliable than animal tests in many instances.

Take Action: Send a note of thanks to both the Canadian Transportation Agency and Air Canada for this landmark decision.

Geoff Hare, Chair and CEO
Canadian Transportation Agency
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0N9
Canada

Calin Rovinescu, President & CEO
Air Canada
Air Canada Centre
7373 Côte-Vertu Blvd. West
Saint-Laurent, Quebec H4S 1Z3
Canada

Airlines Must Stop Transporting Nonhuman Primates

With so many reliable alternatives to animal testing currently available and affordable, there is absolutely no reason to subject animals to such conditions.

Many airlines have discontinued shipping nonhuman primates bound for biomedical research laboratories. However, a few are still engaging in this practice.

NHES opposes cruelty to animals in any form, especially our closest relatives—nonhuman primates, and looks forward to the day when animals will no longer be subjected to the pain and suffering associated with biomedical research and testing, which is often unnecessary and costly when compared with other non-animal techniques.

Instead of using animals, many scientists use human and animal cell, tissue, and organ cultures; chemical systems; blood products; sophisticated mathematical and computer simulations; and plastic organ models. Alternatives, such as Eytex, Skintex®, epiPack, take the place of harmful tests on animals. Advances in tissue engineering and robotics, bioinformatics, genomics, proteomics, metabonomics, systems biology, and in silico (computer-based) systems offer alternatives to animal use. Animal testing can take months if not years at expenses ranging from hundreds of thousands of dollars to multi-millions of dollars, whereas computer modeling can take place instantaneously and at far lower costs, especially the cost to the animals and their suffering. In vitro tests involving human cell and tissue cultures are faster, cheaper, and more reliable than animal tests in many instances.

For these reasons, we urge you to write airlines still engaging in the practice of transporting nonhuman primates bound for biomedical research laboratories and ask them to change their policies.

Calin Rovinescu
President and CEO
Air Canada Centre 1235
P.O. Box 14,000
Dorval, Québec
Canada H4Y 1H4

Jean- Cyril Spinetta
Chief Executive Officer
Air France
45, rue de Paris
95 747 Roissy CDG Cedex

Jeff Smisek
President and CEO
Continental Cargo
1600 Smith Street
Houston, TX 77002

Puerto Rico Saves Lives

Paws Up!

To the Puerto Rican Supreme Court for ruling against the monkey-breeding facility in Guayama.

According to a news story, “…the Puerto Rican Supreme Court upheld previous decisions by lower courts and determined that Bioculture, Inc.’s monkey-breeding facility in Guayama was constructed illegally and cannot open for business.

Capuchin Monkey

“…this decision [is] the final blow to Bioculture’s plan to capture more than 4,000 monkeys from Mauritius, confine them to cages in Guayama, and then sell their offspring for use in painful and deadly experiments at notorious facilities abroad, such as Shin Nippon Biomedical Laboratories, Charles River Laboratories, Pfizer, and Covance.”

Animal experimentation is inherently cruel as animals are treated as nothing more than expendable commodities receiving minimal standards of care and minimal protection under the law. Alternatives exist to determine the best path to take with human health and well being; therefore, there is little need to experiment on live animals. We have historical data through medical records and autopsies. We can use human cell cultures, human living tissues, computer-based models, and human volunteer studies. We do not need to perpetuate animal testing and the harm it does.

Take Action: Thank the Supreme Court by sending a note to Frederico Hernandez Denton, chief justice. Let him and his colleagues know that you are pleased with the court’s decision and hope Puerto Rico will continue to protect animals.

The Honorable Frederico Hernandez Denton
Chief Justice
Supreme Court
P.O. Box 9022392
San Juan, Puerto Rico

Source:
Caribbean News Now

When you think about it…can we have it both ways?

Photo by Bragi Thor

There is legislation in the U.S. Congress that would phase out the use of great apes in invasive research, prohibit the transport of great apes for the purposes of invasive research, prohibit breeding great apes for the purpose of invasive research, and require a provision for lifetime care of federally-owned great apes in a suitable sanctuary for a permanent retirement.

Who could be against protecting great apes? It would appear the researchers for one. That’s how they make their money, practicing invasive research on animals, not just great apes. Suppliers of animal products and services would be against such legislation also as that would cut into their profit margin. Those who supply the animals, whether wild caught or through breeding programs, would also feel the financial pinch. Since the apes can’t speak for themselves, we must. We must question their use just as other countries have, and most have rejected the use of great apes in biomedical research.

We’re told great apes are so much like us that using them in biomedical research will bring forth better results to protect us humans against all sorts of diseases. Yet, if they are that much like us, then why not just use us? We shrink from human experiments, but we seem okay with experimenting on our closest relatives. Can we have it both ways? Can we say they’re like us so we can use them but they’re not really that much like us so it’s morally and ethically okay to use them? But then, if they’re not that much like us, how can the results of the research be relevant to us? It’s a vicious cycle, one the Great Ape Protection and Cost Savings Act will, if passed, break.

Advances in medical research now show that animal testing in general is unnecessary and has, in some cases, proved misleading in finding causes of and cures for human diseases. Such advances include the use of human cell cultures, human living tissues, computer-based models, and human volunteer studies. We do not need to perpetuate animal testing and the harm that it does to both the human and nonhuman animal alike.

When you think about it…keeping these intelligent, emotional, social, and cognitively aware animals in metal cages for research is inhumane. Even if a laboratory attempts to create an environment more conducive to these animals’ nature, that laboratory cannot replicate normal life as spent in the jungle among family and peers. We can’t have it both ways. The only way is to pass The Great Ape Protection and Cost Savings Act and free these subjugated animals from a life of deprivation and degradation.