The German Animal Welfare Federation and its Rhineland-Palatinate branch are appalled by reports of 270 beagles from the USA that are apparently destined for animal testing. The dogs arrived at Hahn Airport in Rhineland-Palatinate. The animal welfare organisation Soko Tierschutz documented the dogs’ arrival, as the “Trierische Volksfreund” newspaper reports.
“These dogs are not measuring instruments, but living beings with feelings. The knowledge that the animals will suffer immeasurable pain for months or years is unbearable,” explains Anna Lena-Busch, Chair of the Rhineland-Palatinate regional branch of the German Animal Welfare Federation.
A future without animal testing: Society must change its mindset
Among the nearly two million animals used in animal testing in Germany each year are 2,220 dogs, which are often used repeatedly. Beagles are used particularly frequently due to their calm and friendly nature. Typical areas of research involving dogs range from studies into cardiovascular, cancer and infectious diseases in humans, as well as disorders of the human nervous system, to drug research and development and toxicity testing, for example of plant protection products.
“It is time for us as a society to fundamentally rethink our relationship with animals. No one should any longer accept that animals have to suffer and die for scientific purposes when advanced, animal-free alternatives have long been available,” says Kristina Wagner, Head of the Department for Animal-Free Science at the German Animal Welfare Federation. The German Animal Welfare Federation is therefore calling for an end to animal testing and a shift towards animal-free science. Among other things, this urgently requires increased funding for animal-free testing and research methods. These methods are developed from the outset to provide precise answers to specific questions. The ‘detour’ via another species is omitted; instead, research is conducted directly with human patients in mind using state-of-the-art techniques.
