News / Animal Rights
NGO calls for end to animal testing
Some artwork appeared on the pavement next to the Neptune statue in the city centre on Friday afternoon.
The 6×3 metre 3D artwork was put there by campaigning organisation Cruelty Free International to take a stand against animal testing worldwide.
They have been travelling with their artwork to numerous cities across the UK and, on Friday, made a brief stop in Bristol, the city Cruelty Free International was founded in more than 100 years ago.
Cruelty Free International’s mission is to help “create a world where no animals suffer in a laboratory”.
Dylan Underhill, head of public affairs for Cruelty Free, spoke to Bristol 24/7 about the pavement art project: “We’re raising awareness for the amount of animal testing that is linked to our everyday lives.
“We’ve come here with a piece of pavement art that is of a typical British living room, something everyone who sees it will recognise.
“Everything in that picture can be linked to animal testing.”
Cruelty Intentional claim that over 190m animals have been used for animal testing worldwide – photo: Rafe Llewellyn
The UK government have confirmed they will publish a new strategy in December that will outline their plans to phase out animal testing in scientific research, news which many animal rights group have welcomed.
Indeed, Underhill is keen to emphasise that conversations around animal cruelty do not need to be all doom and gloom. Rather, the focus should be hopeful: “It’s important to leave people with the tools to take action.
“We’re at a place where the science is incredible now.
“There are huge amounts of technology, we want these to be the go-to, but we need more action from the government and we need more funding.”
As well as the upcoming UK strategy, the European Union have recently laid out a roadmap for phasing out animal testing in all chemical safety assessments but Underhill insists these positive steps forwards are exactly the reason why “we need to be bold, we need to be ambitious and, crucially… we must keep up the pressure”.
Main photo: Rafe Llewellyn
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