Parliamentary Early Day Motion 25
Parliamentary Early Day Motion 25 calls for a rigorous public scientific hearing on animal experiments, judged by independent experts from the relevant fields of science, including clinical medicine, complexity/chaos theory, evolutionary biology, philosophy of science, clinical research, drug development and basic research.
Here's the full EDM text: Scientific hearing on animal experiments - Early Day Motions - UK Parliament
That this House applauds the Animal Welfare (Sentience) Act, 2022, enshrining in law the ability of animals to experience joy and feel suffering and pain; notes the science-based campaign For Life On Earth with its Beagle Ambassador, rescued laboratory dog Betsy; is shocked to see the harrowing exposé showing thousands of laboratory dogs intensively bred in the UK, underlining the consequences of the Animal Welfare (Sentience) Act 2022; notes that scientists in the wider scientific community, outside the animal-based research sector, openly acknowledge the failure of animal testing in the search for human treatments and cures, and that those experts include scientists in the pharmaceutical industry, an Editor in Chief of the British Medical Journal, the US-based National Cancer Institute which says cures for cancer have been lost because studies in rodents were believed, and the Food and Drug Administration which states that 9 out of 10 new medicines fail to pass human trials because animals cannot predict responses in humans; notes Doctors Greek and Shanks' Trans-Species Modelling Theory, founded upon the theory of evolution, explaining why animals fail as predictive models of humans; and urgently calls on the Government to mandate a rigorous public scientific hearing, judged by independent experts from the relevant science fields, to stop the funding of the now proven failed practice of animal experimentation and increase funding for state-of-the-art human-based research, such as human-on-a-chip and gene-based medicine, to prioritise treatments and cures for human patients and stop the suffering of laboratory dogs and other animals.
Why is this EDM so vital?
We urgently need the EDM's called-for science hearing because there is overwhelming agreement in the wider scientific community, outside animal-based researchers, that animal experiments are entirely failing the search for human treatments and cures [1-6]. This failure is reported by leading experts including Dr. Fiona Godlee, Editor in Chief of the British Medical Journal [1] and scientists working at the US-based Food and Drug Administration, which states that nine out of ten new human medicines fail to pass human clinical trials because animals cannot predict human responses. [2] Scientists in the pharmaceutical industry also openly acknowledge the failure of animal models in their drug development process, writing about this extensively in science journals, please visit this link for their reports: the US-based National Cancer Institute says we have lost cures for cancer because studies in rodents were believed. [3]
EDM 25 calls for a scientific hearing that can advise our decision makers, free them from the grip of outdated lobbyists and accelerate much needed funding for human-relevant research - such as body-on-a-chip and gene-based medicine - which comes with a proven track record of success.
No member of the animal experimentation community will agree to take part in the EDM's call for public scientific scrutiny, so the EDM calls for the Government to mandate the hearing in order that new laws can be created to protect human health and animals.
Ricky Gervais and Peter Egan lead public support for this EDM with the help of beautiful rescued laboratory dog Betsy, a figurehead for laboratory animals, worldwide. Ricky and Peter are joined by many additional celebrities, including Downton Abbey cook, played by actress Lesley Nicol; Dragon's Den star Deborah Meaden; For the Love of Dog's presenter, Paul O'Grady; preeminent primatologist Dr. Jane Goodall and best selling author Jane Fallon.
For more information on the campaign with rescued ex-laboratory dog Betsy, Ricky Gervais and Peter Egan, please visit Betsy's website.
OR use the template below. as a basis for your letter.
Remember to include your address and all the References and Resources, after you have signed your letter!
PLACE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS HERE!
Dear _____ MP,
Chris Packham has joined Ricky Gervais and Peter Egan in their campaign 'Operation Beagle', launched with the Daily Mirror, revealing new footage showing the shocking suffering of beagle puppies, factory farmed by laboratory dog breeders MBR Acres, in the heart of the British countryside.
Chris Packham says: "I am ashamed to be human. I am ashamed to be British. I am ashamed that as a dog lover that this could be happening anywhere on earth. Because this footage is a view of hell. It's left me reeling and confused because I simply do not understand how or why this can continue to happen...what is the matter with people? If this were a ‘zoo’ it would be shut down immediately. Please, please help us put an end to this unimaginable cruelty."
#OperationBeagle echoes the name of Darwin's great ship HMS Beagle, because scientists state that the medical evidence against using animal experiments is founded upon Darwin’s Theory of Evolution and current understanding of evolutionary biology: scientists understand that it is vital differences between species which explain why animal testing is failing the search for human treatments and cures.
I am writing to ask you to please sign EDM 25, calling for the Government to mandate a rigorous public scientific hearing on outdated claims that experiments on dogs, and other animals, can predict the responses of human patients. The hearing called for by EDM 25 is fair, transparent and long overdue: the Nuremburg Code, which first mandated animal tests in human drug trials, is 77 years out of date; the 1986 Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act has long been surpassed by the 2003 Human Genome Project and gene-based medicine, where treatments today match the unique DNA of each individual patient - and this differs dramatically even for identical twins.
The human medical failure of animal experiments is today widely reported by experts publishing in the peer reviewed scientific literature, including Dr. Fiona Godlee, an Editor in Chief of the British Medical Journal, who reports that it is “nearly impossible to rely on most animal data to predict whether or not an intervention will have a favourable clinical benefit-risk ratio in human subjects; … if research conducted on animals continues to be unable to reasonably predict what can be expected in humans, the public’s continuing endorsement and funding of preclinical animal research seems misplaced.” [1] The FDA states that nine out of ten new human medicines fail to pass clinical trials, because animals cannot predict human responses [2]; the US-based National Cancer Institute says we have lost cures for cancer, because studies in rodents have been believed [3] and scientists working in the pharmaceutical industry openly acknowledge the failure of animal experiments in their drug development process, and write about this often, in the peer reviewed scientific literature. [4-6].
The EDM 25 science hearing is unique because it will be judged by experts from the relevant science fields: including clinical medicine, complexity science, chaos theory, evolutionary biology, clinical research, drug development, philosophy of science and basic research. Never before has such an independently judged science hearing been mandated by the Government; previous inquiries into animal testing have been overseen by many with a clear vested interest in animal experiments.
When the MBR Acres puppies reach their final destination at a UK laboratory, they are subjected to experiments where chemicals are force-feed directly into the dogs' stomachs for up to 90 days, with no pain relief or anaesthetic: the latest Government statistics show 67% of all dog experiments were for this force-feeding, or gavage procedure, which is classified as 'mild suffering' by the Home Office. The dogs are killed at the end of the experiments.
Dogs are family members: with the passing of Finns Law Part Two, inspired by the bravery of police dog Finn, cruelty to dogs and other animals can now mean spending up to five years in prison.
Dogs, like rescued laboratory Betsy Ambassador, are intensively bred in the UK for experiments that are permitted on otherwise protected companion animals, because laboratory animals are excluded from the Animal Welfare Act and the protection of its 'unnecessary suffering' clause. Cross-party MPs gathered to debate Peter Egan's petition 'Change the Law to Include Laboratory Animals in the Animal Welfare Act'. Please visit this link to access key clips from this important debate: Government Minister Kit Malthouse MP stated: if laboratory animals were included in the Animal Welfare Act, no animal experiments would be permitted.
EDM 25 calls for a fair public scientific hearing, judged by experts that can advise our Government about the pressure still exerted on the Government by outdated lobbyists, from a widely acknowledged medically failed practice. The hearing will accelerate much needed funding for human-relevant research - such as body-on-a-chip and gene-based medicine - which comes with a proven track record of success.
Today we have entered the age of personalised medicine, where the individual DNA of each patient is mapped, together with the DNA of that patient's cancer, by way of example. Treatments are then matched to the exact requirements of that unique person. Given this extraordinary medical advancement, the continued funding of laboratory animal models certainly belongs in the history books of 1847, when animal experimentation was first institutionalised by a French doctor, Claude Bernard, who went on to reject the Theory of Evolution.
No member of the animal experimentation community will agree to take part in the science hearing's level of public scientific scrutiny, so the EDM calls for the Government to mandate the hearing in order that new laws can be created quickly to protect human health and animals.
Ricky Gervais, Peter Egan and Chris Packham lead public support for this EDM, joined by celebrities including Downton Abbey's cook, played by actress Lesley Nicol; best selling author Jane Fallon; 'Dragon's Den' star Deborah Meaden; preeminent primatologist Dr. Jane Goodall and the late wonderful 'For the Love of Dog's' presenter, Paul O'Grady.
Please support me in asking the Government to mandate the EDM's fair call for public scientific hearing, as an urgent priority for all our sakes, both human and animal.
References
Resources
Exposé showing harrowing footage of the factory farming of laboratory dogs in the UK.
Complexity Science Lecture at the University of British Columbia, July 2017.
Open Letter supporting EDM 25, led by Ricky Gervais, Peter Egan, Dr. Jane Goodall, Jane Fallon and Chris Packham.
Extensive and referenced quotes by pharmaceutical companies.
Patients Campaigning For Cures
Americans and Europeans for Medical Advancement (AFMA/EFMA)
The science-based Campaign For Life On Earth (FLOE)
Betsy, rescued laboratory Beagle Ambassador for FLOE
Award winning oncologist Dr. Azra Raza on the failure of animal models in the search for cures for cancer: watch the TED Talk.
Ricky Gervais in conversation with medical doctor Ray Greek, calling for the science hearing. For their full half hour conversation please visit this link.
Dr. Jane Goodall's filmed statement, calling for the EDM.
Drs. Shanks and Greek's medical defeat of a primate laboratory at Cambridge University.
Open Letter by Ray Greek MD: Concerning the Scientific Underpinnings of a Laboratory Beagle Breeding Unit