Think about animal testing (From News Shopper)

Think about animal testing

9:54am Tuesday 14th June 2005 in Letters

REGARDING the letter Sickened By Animal Research Hypocrisy (News Shopper, May 11).

I have heard all these arguments before in a letter from the Home Office: the strict rules governing research, the difficulty of obtaining permission for experiments and the safeguard of having inspectors.

I don't believe a word of them. How can I when I read in the Observer "37 beagles will each have one of their leg bones sawn then snapped with a steel wire all without anaesthetic".

If ordinary citizens subjected animals to this sort of treatment, they would find themselves in prison.

People do not give enough thought to animal research but I would not say those who give to cancer research are hypocritical.

They are well-meaning and generous but have probably not thought about what is involved in the research and they should try to find out how their money is spent.

They could give to one of a small number of research charities which do not fund animal experiments.

If all research was made public there would be such shock and revulsion at the cruelty, waste and stupidity of animal experiments the Government would have to ban them.

P STEVENS

Eversley Avenue

Bexleyheath