The World Day of Laboratory Animals has been observed annually on April 24th with the associated “Lab Animal Week” (20th-26th April) since 1979 as a movement to end the sufferings of the animals that are used for testing in the laboratories around the world and replace them with the advanced scientific non-animal techniques.
Key Points:
i.This World Day for Animals in Laboratories was established by the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) to educate the public and Governments about the animal tests and the alternatives for the past 40 years.
ii.The product testing required the testing to be done on two mammal species, a rodent species and a non-rodent species during the testing the animals are burnt, blinded, scalded, poisoned, mutilated and starved.
iii.The alternate methods to replace animal testing researches are encouraged in many continents but the government regulations on allowing the products into the market requires standard animal testing to evaluate safety of the products on humans.
History:
i.The National Anti-Vivisection Society (NAVS) is the first organisation in the world to campaign against Vivisection, the act of operating on animals for experimental purposes.
ii.The society was formed in Victoria Street, London under the name of Victoria Street Society.
Lord Dowding, a British politician and commander in chief of the Royal Air Force during the battle of Britain. In 1979 the NAVS established the World Day for Laboratory Animals on April 24th which is Lord Dowding’s Birthday.
iii.Lord Dowding Fund for Humane Research, a department in the NAVS is the first anti-Vivisection organisation in the world.
iv.The International day for laboratory Animals is recognised by the United Nation and acknowledged by the anti-vivisectionists all over the world.
Non-Animal Techniques:
i.Lord Dowding Fund (LDF) for humane Research is a department of the NAVS awarding grants to the scientists working on medical research without animal testing.
ii.The advanced non-animal techniques like organ-on-a-chip can be used to mimic the movements of the organ to provide the clinical studies of drug screening and toxicology applications.
About NAVS:
Founded– 2nd December 1875
Founder– Miss Frances Power Cobbe
Location– London
