Felix is dead

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- Speciesism_will_end We heard today with great sadness that Felix is dead.Felix was a macaque monkey imprisoned in a laboratory at Oxford University lab

UK. He experienced torment & mutilationfor years in a series of brain function experiments. His captors refused to release him despite a continuinginternational outcry. There were further plans to perform invasive surgery on Felix followed by a catalogue of experiments (many of which entailed his confinement in a restraint chair) over the next few years.So although Felix's passing is tragic, at least he did not experience further years of torment since there were no signs Felix would ever be allowed freedom. Sadly despite calls to end his torment, his freedom and any chance for happiness in this life has now ended. Furthermore, Felix will be replacedby yet many other sentient beings and these experiments willcontinue. Oxford University is intending to build yet another very large animal experimentation facility

despite many protests. Please speak out against animal experimentation. Animal experimentation has been proven to be ineffective, dangerous and it is unethical. Many of the scientific communityadmit that animal experimentation is not effective and thatone cannot effectively or safely extrapolate human data from animal models. Why then does the scientific community, pharmaceutical industryand those related industries continue to torment animals in many ineffective experiments despite this? 1. Simply because they can & because nonhuman animalsin society are seen as property. 2. Because the public are unaware of the horrific details of experiments or the extent of experiments due to purposeful lack of transparency. Also, because some people lack empathy & compassion for those who are a different species. 3. Vivisection is big business and there are many who profit from animalexperimentation continuing like Huntington Life Sciences. 4. Many alternatives to animal experimentation are not beingdeveloped or utilised due to many reasons including lack of funding, lack of will, lack of compassion and lack of interest, lack of public outcry & greed. What you can we do * Write to your local MP's & Department of Primary Industry and urge them to fund the development of non-animal alternatives and call for transparency. * Spread the word about

the extent of animal experimentation, that it is on the rise and that alternatives exist.*Call to government and have it enshrined in law - an animal bill of rights, so nonhuman animals are no longer viewed as property to be exploited and killed. * Educate yourself about non-animal experimentation alternatives *Join local groups and protest against animal experimentation* Construct websites, petitions to government, Youtube videos about the subject. *Set up an education stands at your local library* Educate and instil compassion, a sense of justice and the acceptance of difference & diversityin young children. Teach them that nonhuman animals, although they are different, are our equals should not be exploited and are not here for our use, they deserve compassion, protection and rights. *Hand out education

material about animal experimentation at universities and colleges*Write to drug companies and urge them to adopt non-animal alternatives* Support organisations which are developing alternatives to animal experimentation. * Only support charities which are not involved in animal experiments. *Choose ethical investment companies which do not exploit animals. *Choose products not tested on animals. Most products you will find are. Look for labels which state they do not test on animals. *Never give up. Never underestimate what a small group of people can do as Margaret Mead said. For more info - visit www.drhadwentrust.org.uk http://www.pcrm.org http://www.buav.org http://www.neavs.org http://www.stopanimaltests.com ======================================================== From SPEAK Watch the Felix video http://www.speakcampaigns.org/felix/fighting_for_felix_video.php has notified the sender that this message has been received. "A human being is a part of the whole called by us universe. Our task must be to widen our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty." Albert Einstein

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