World Laboratory Animal Day (24/04)

April 24 in the calendar of environmental dates is marked as World Day for Laboratory Animals, which was established by the International Association against Painful Experiments on Animals (InterNICH) in 1979 and supported by the UN.

Initially, it was noted by animal protection organizations in a number of countries, and today a movement against vivisection (experiments and experiments on laboratory animals) is actively developing around the world, which is supported by activists of various public and animal protection organizations.

The choice of date is timed to coincide with the birthday of Lord Hugh Dowding –, a famous animal rights activist and opponent of vivisection (experiments on animals).

It must be said that animals have been used in experiments since ancient times. The earliest references to animal testing are found in the writings of the Greeks in the 2nd and 4th centuries BC. Aristotle and Erasistratus were among the first to conduct experiments on live animals. But still, these works were episodic in nature.

The concept of «laboratory animal» developed at the end of the 19th century due to the rapid development of experimental biology and medicine, and since the second half of the 20th century, the method of scientific experimentation on animals has taken shape as an independent direction. Today, laboratory animals are used to simulate pathological processes and test drugs, cosmetics, cigarettes, food additives, and household chemicals... The main customers of research are large pharmaceutical and cosmetic corporations.

Among the most commonly used in animal experiments are – mice, rabbits, monkeys and dogs. Every year, hundreds of representatives of these species die in laboratories. In addition, animals are used in the training of future medical workers and veterinarians.

Of course, at the initial stage of development of the science of laboratory animals, ethical issues were not relevant, since the scope of this «industry» was not so great. Currently, bioethics issues are the focus of attention of both scientists and the public. Cruel experiments and tests on animals continue to exist, primarily because many consumers are not familiar with this moral problem at all, and manufacturers are not interested in conveying it to the end buyer. It was with the aim of attracting the attention of the world community to this problem that World Laboratory Animal Day was established.

The bioethics of experimentation on animals requires the use of all recent advances to improve the well-being of laboratory animals, improve the technology of their maintenance, ensure their humane and adequate use in experiments, reduce the number of such animals, reduce the suffering and pain of animals during the experiment, etc. Bioethics also examines the moral, legal, philosophical, social, and religious problems arising from the inevitable use of animals as a means for the progress of biology and medicine.

Every year, hundreds of representatives of these species die in laboratories (Photo: She, licensed by Shutterstock.com)

Already in the middle of the last century, a powerful social movement unfolded in many countries under the slogan «Beauty without cruelty», as a result of which a significant number of cosmetic enterprises switched to plant raw materials (that is, without animal components) and alternative testing (without the use of animals). Today, such products are marked with a brand name: rabbit in a circle and the inscription – «Not tested for animals» («Not tested on animals»), or the sign «V» (vegan).

InternICH has also launched its activities in many countries around the world to find alternatives to vivisection for classes in educational institutions. Many universities in Europe, and today in Russia, have announced their refusal to conduct experiments on animals. In return, students are provided with video materials and computer programs that replace animal dissection. They can acquire practical skills by dissecting the corpses of animals that died of natural causes, died as a result of an accident, or were euthanized due to an incurable disease. All this undoubtedly allows saving the lives of many representatives of the animal world.

But if in the educational process you can do without a living organism, then, unfortunately, many scientific experiments are quite difficult to conduct without the participation of animals. But even here, animal protection organizations have achieved many positive results over the years of their work. For example, in 1998, the UK was the first to ban testing of cosmetics on animals and introduce legislation on mandatory pain relief during experiments, and then other countries; in some countries there are organizations that specialize in protecting the rights of laboratory animals; In the USA, much attention is paid to the development of alternative testing methods.

It must be said that today goods not tested on animals are becoming increasingly popular among consumers, and, consequently, « unscrupulous» manufacturers are appearing in this matter. In this regard, a number of important documents and Standards (ethical cosmetics and household chemicals) on a global scale were approved, aimed at protecting animals used in experiments and other scientific purposes. In addition, the search for alternative methods for experiments on animals continues.

On World Laboratory Animal Day, opponents of vivisection and supporters of humane science in different countries are holding various large-scale educational events and events to once again draw public attention to the problems of our smaller brothers, doomed to experiments, and to remind that there is alternative medicine, cosmetics, household chemicals and personal hygiene products. There are many ambiguities and contradictions in protecting the rights of laboratory animals, but only a sympathetic and humane society can resolve them.

1432