(HK) Animal Earth demands investigation on PolyU lab's cruelty to rabbits

[Guest guest]

For immediate release

 

2008.07.10

 

Press Release

 

 

 

On the maltreatment of rabbits by researcher(s) at The Hong Kong Polytechnic

University uncovered by the media on 4 July 2008, Animal Earth expresses

grave concern and demands thorough investigation by relevant authorities and

instigation of follow-up measures to safeguard the rights of all animals who

are being kept in laboratories or in research settings.

 

 

 

The suffering caused to laboratory animals in extreme and routine torture by

scientists and researchers has long been a major concern of animal rights

advocates throughout the world. While millions of animals suffer from animal

experimentation and most eventually die in agony each year in the hands of

scientists worldwide, only a tiny fraction of cruelty cases made it to

public light. The present incident at the Polytechnic University is one of

them.

 

 

 

Animal experimentation is often done in the name of medical science and

advancement of human living standard. According to some statistics, however,

most medical experiments done on animals are unnecessary, and the results

irrelevant to human medicine. Even in experiments that are seen as necessary

to the advancement of medicine, animal testing could have been replaced by

other modern alternatives.

 

 

 

We emphasize that animals, especially mammals and birds most often used in

research, are sentient beings and able to suffer from pain and fear much as

humans do. Any responsible institutions must not allow cruelty to be caused

to these animals. There are laws in Hong Kong to protect animals from cruel

treatment in general and, in particular, from unnecessary suffering in

animal experimentation. Individuals and institutions, including education

institutions, should abide by these laws and uphold modern ethical standards

as applied to fair treatment of animals as living feeling beings.

 

 

 

We condemn any attempts by researchers and scientists to maltreat animals

and disregard animals' interest while carrying out research and experiments.

We maintain that the University must immediately stop all experiments that

bleach the laws and ethical standard related to animal treatment, and carry

out thorough investigation into the said incident and report the results to

the public.

 

 

 

 

 

Animal Earth

 

 

 

(Chinese version at

http://www.animalearth.org/forum/index.php?topic=2784.msg15996#msg15996 )

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

_____

 

nokillcity [nokillcity ] On

Behalf Of Dr John Wedderburn

Saturday, July 05, 2008 11:23 AM

nokillcity

[nokillcity] PolyU lab alleged of cruelty to rabbits

 

 

 

Apple Daily

 

Polytechnic University's faculty of rehabilitation therapy was accused of

inflicting cruelty on three rabbits in laboratory tests, causing the animals

to feel so painful that they had to bite off their own legs. A witness who

wanted to report the case to police was told not to do so by the

University's ethics committee. An investigative panel has been formed to