Anna-Marie FlynnANIMAL-rights activists from across the globe are expected to travel to Mayo next week – for a day-long protest at Charles River Bio Laboratories in both Ballina and Glenamoy.
The laboratories, located at Carrentrilla outside Ballina and Glenamoy – specialising in biological studies and locally referred to as ‘rat factories’ - have been named as the location for a protest next Tuesday, September 22, headed up by the international organisation Stop Huntingdon Animal Cruelty (SHAC).
Confirming the protest, SHAC said: “We’ll be protesting at both Charles Rivers’ facilities on the day, and will also be distributing special ‘whistle blower’ leaflets while we’re over there.”
A campaigner with SHAC outlined that the Mayo laboratories have been chosen as their parent company is one of the biggest animal testing companies in the world.
Arguing that the company is a ‘contract testing business, which means they will test anything, on any animal, for a price’, members of SHAC have also accused such labs of conducting ‘painful, live experiments on animals’.
The activist added: “Thousands of animals are experimented on in these labs every year. Their torturous lives are full of pain, fear, suffering and misery. And any animal that manages to survive an experiment, is killed shortly afterwards.”
The campaigner even insisted it was ‘disturbing’ that many local people casually refer to the Mayo plants as ‘rat factories’.
However, when contacted by The Mayo News a spokesperson Charles River Labs defended its commitment to animal welfare, stating: “Charles River has a deep commitment to animal welfare, and we make every effort to exceed national standards for the care of the animal models under our stewardship.”
The company also made reference to its ‘essential’ role in bio medical research. “The survival rates for major diseases are at an all-time high thanks to the discovery of new drugs. Charles River’s work is an essential component of the research that has led to these discoveries and has played a vital role in medical advances for humans as well as animals.”
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