December 5, 2002
   50 YEARS OF TORTURE or "UNHAPPY BIRTHDAY"
                                           by Tatiana Gelfand
(An English version of the article accepted for publication at "Reklama I Zshisn"- N.J. and Philadelphia Russian newspaper, 12-11-02.   From: "dimacs" <tva@dimacs.rutgers.edu>)
                             
On Sunday, December 1, about 300 people nationwide gathered on occasion of the 50-th anniversary of Huntingdon Life Sciences, one of the world's largest animal
testing companies.

HLS is a British company with an additional facility in East Millstone, New Jersey. Every day an average of 500 animals die a horrible death after being slowly poisoned. The HLS specializes in testing toxicity of agrochemicals, food colorings, tanning lotions, adhesives, washing powders and various pharmaceutical products. HLS uses beagle puppies, primates, cats, rabbits, etc. The animals are forced to inhale and
ingest the products for weeks or months; then they are killed and dissected.

About two thirds of the Franklin Township police dressed in riot gear, some carrying automatic rifles, were standing on both sides of the previously blocked road leading to company's gates. Fifty people at a time were allowed to march closer to the lab where they were split again into groups of 15 and 35, each surrounded by police officers. Other protesters were awaiting their turn at Colonial Park while continuously
chanting during the three hour protest.  Robin Webb, 60, from England was the only one arrested. He was charged with trespassing and was being held at the Somerset County Jail in lieu of bail set at $50,000.

Since 1981 HLS has been exposed in five undercover investigations showing horrific and illegal cases of animal cruelty. The video footage exposed workers throwing beagle puppies against walls, punching them into face. The beagles were used to test toxicity of pesticides, dental hygiene products and food wrapping plastic. An investigator working inside the lab in East Millstone filmed a necropsy (animal equivalent of
autopsy) performed on a live monkey for a study sponsored by Proctor & Gamble.

Besides showing the extreme suffering of animals the undercover investigations showed the shocking evidence of sloppy science at HLS: drunkenness, drug taking on site, high levels of absenteeism, gross incompetence, misdosing and falsified records.

An investigator (Michelle Rokke) working in New Jersey HLS lab was sent to observe the animals. In her article "I've Seen HELL and It Is Called HLS" she wrote: "I was told not to worry about their [ animals'] subsequent health problems after dosing and not to record them. One day when I asked a co-worker what the point of tests were, I was told "Just because a drug has an effect on a dog it doesn't mean it's going to have that effect on a human." I was then told "the point of testing is not to protect people, but to get a sponsor to bring return business back to the lab. The way to guarantee return business is to get the sponsor's (the company paying for the tests) drug on the market".

Unfortunately, the saying of this employee was not a mistake. The increasing number of physicians, veterinarians and scientists all over the world agree more and more strongly that animal testing is not reliable to work for humans. Here are some facts:
    - Less than 2% of human illnesses are ever seen in animals. 
    - At least 50 drugs on the market cause cancer in lab animals. They are
       allowed because it is admitted that animal tests are not relevant.
    - According to animal tests lemon juice is a deadly poison, aspirin,
       insulin are not safe but arsenic, hemlock and botulin are safe.
    - It was denied for decades that asbestos caused disease in humans
      because it didn't in animals.
    - Numerous experiments in which animals were forced to inhale tobacco
       smoke failed to produce lung cancer while the study of human population
       leaves no doubt that smokers have a much higher lung cancer risk.
    - Over 200,000 medicines have been released, most of which are now
       withdrawn. Thousands of drugs passed safe in animals have been withdrawn
       or banned due to their side effect on human health.

Is it not absurd that the "safe" household products have warning labels
as "poisonous, harmful to animals and humans"?

There are numerous non-animal methods for testing and medical scientific research. These alternative methods are often cheaper, more efficient, and much more reliable. So why are they not used? The answer was already given above by an HLS employee.

Here is what physicians and scientists say:
    - "The animal research industry is sucking up precious funds that should
        be used to really help people get healthy" Michael Klaper, M.D.

   - "Animal experimentation is not necessary. It is expensive. It is inaccurate. It is     
       misleading. It consumes limited resources. And further, it is detrimental to the   
       very species it professes to be working to help- humankind". Drs. Ray and Jean   
      Greek, authors of "Sacred Cows and Golden Geese: The Human Cost of Ex 
      periments on Animals".

           - "The history of cancer research has been a history of curing cancer in the mouse...   
      We have cured mice of cancer for decades- and it simply didn't work in humans." 
      Dr. Richard Klausner, the Director of the National Cancer Institute.
   
    - "Vivisection does not protect human health and well being. It endangers. It is     
       merely license to harm and diminish us, all while its icons and perpetrators are 
       reaping a constellation of benefits including the luxury and comfort of escaping 
       punishment and confinement." Moneim A. Fadali, M.D., Diplomate of the 
      American Board of Surgery (the quote taken from his book "Animal Experi   
      mentation. A Harvest of Shame."

It is believed by many people that the discoveries in medicine were made due to animal experimentation. Here is some history. It is well known what Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin which has been saving lives of people. In 1929 Fleming observed penicillin as it killed bacteria in a Petri dish. He administered the compound to bacteria-infected rabbits hoping to cure them. Unfortunately, this was not effective at all.  Disappointed he set the drug aside for a decade since the rabbits had "proved" its uselessness. Years later he administered the drug in desperation to a dying patient, for whom all other treatments did not work. The penicillin performed a miracle.

Another well-known discovery is a polio-vaccine. Not everyone knows though that the polio-vaccine was delayed for decades based on misleading experimental models of the disease in monkeys. It was finally developed by Nobel Prize winner John Enders by growing the virus in tissue cultures.

There is an abundant literature revealing the historical and other facts about vivisection, the danger of animal experimentation not only to animals but also to humans, and the related ethical aspects. A German activist Helmut Kaplan wrote: "Our grandchildren will ask us one day: Where were you during the Holocaust of the animals? What did you do against these horrifying crimes? We won't be able to offer the same
excuse for the second time - that we didn't know."

The latest protests against HLS were not isolated episodes. The ideals behind this strengthening movement have long historical roots. At present time the movement is supported by many reputable people and numerous organizations all over the world, see for example:
www.pcrm.org
www.shacamerica.net
www.animalresearch.org
www.curedisease.com
www.iaapea.com
www.powerfulbook.com

Due to the efforts of concerned people HLS lost major investors, large customer contracts, every market maker and other companies lending their services to this failing laboratory. As mentioned in the materials of SHAC (Stop Huntingdon Animal Cruelty) HLS has currently more than $80 million in debt and remains open today only because its directors have begun pouring their own money into the company.

The growing number of companies all over the world are producing cosmetic and household products without the use of animals. They use old, known safe for decades ingredients usually derived from plants.  About 68% of medical schools in the US switched to the alternative (without the use of animals) training programs for the future physicians. This shows that the truth about animal testing becomes known not only to individuals but also to the medical and other institutions.  Indeed, as Aldous Huxley said: "The truth does not cease to exist because it is ignored".