Posted on the 11th September 2024
A newly released government report has shed light on the alarming number of animals used in experiments across Great Britain last year, with the total reaching a shocking 2,605,528. This figure includes a wide variety of species, many of which endured extreme suffering in the name of scientific research.
Among the most disturbing statistics is the fact that 11,519 lethal dose 50% tests (LD50 and LC50) were conducted. These are notoriously cruel methods in which animals are given escalating doses of a substance until half of them die. Despite the existence of a non-animal alternative to the oral LD50, AcutoX, developed by XCellR8 with funding from Animal Aid, this outdated and inhumane practice continues. AcutoX, a cutting-edge and cruelty-free testing alternative, is both scientifically advanced and completely non-animal.
As well as 2,477 dogs harmed, the report also reveals the heartbreaking number of other animals used: 1,923,424 mice, 147,196 rats, 8,933 rabbits, 64 horses (and other equids), and 1,815 non-human primates were subjected to various forms of experimentation with most being killed afterwards. Most of these animals, after enduring the horrors of laboratory experiments, were ultimately killed so that their organs could be harvested.
Daisy Hall, Campaign Manager, emphasises the need for the scientific community to shift towards more humane and innovative research methods:
“The thought of so many individual animals enduring the horrors of living, being harmed, and then killed in laboratories is heartbreaking. We urge all involved in animal experiments to abandon these archaic practices and invest in research that is both ethically and scientifically superior.”
The newly elected Labour government has pledged to phase out animal testing, a commitment Animal Aid hopes will result in the replacement of animals in laboratories in the near future. However, we urge the government to take swift and decisive action to make this promise a reality.
Read the report here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/statistics-of-scientific-procedures-on-living-animals-great-britain-2023
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