AN animal rights group demonstrated outside a university in protest of the animal testing that takes place onsite.
Worcestershire Vegans and Veggies joined Animal Justice Project in a demonstration outside Cardiff University yesterday to raise awareness of its experiments on animals. Maxine Burgess, from the group said: “Testing on animals isn’t really helping that much. Drugs are tested on animals and it has cured the condition, but then when they have human volunteers, they either don’t work or there are very bad side effects. More modern things going on with human tissue and computer simulations would be more accurate and stop the suffering of animals.”
An investigation by Animal Justice Project found that at Cardiff University, rats are given electric shocks before being suffocated to death, guinea pigs are trapped in chambers and forced to inhale substances, mice have their spines smashed to cause paralysis, and rats are forced to swim in water after having mind altering drugs injected into their brains.
A Cardiff University spokesman said: “All of our research involving animals is aimed at the alleviation of human and veterinary disease through the advancement of medical, dental, biological and veterinary understanding.
“Our studies are ethical, necessary and socially justified when undertaken under the strict guidelines optimising animal welfare, and using methods designed to minimise pain or suffering.
“All animal-related research work at Cardiff University is carried out under the strict conditions imposed by UK legislation including stringent ethical scrutiny.
“We are fully compliant with and support the intention and purpose of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986.
“Cardiff University is fully committed to the principle of the 3Rs and wherever possible the use of animals is avoided and alternative methods are employed.
“We are also committed to providing open and transparent information about our research involving animals and our standards of animal care and welfare. In May 2014 we signed the Concordat on Openness on Animal Research in the UK."
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