Animal Aid

Cambridge anti-vivisection protests make powerful impact

Our two days of action against animal experiments at Cambridge University have had a powerful impact, with excellent public engagement and strong local media coverage. The peaceful protests were supported by local campaign group Animal Rights Cambridge. They followed the discovery of a particularly shocking experiment performed on pregnant sheep at Cambridge University, which was supported by the British Heart Foundation. The disturbing ‘procedure’ involved 12 ewes and their unborn lambs being surgically mutilated, partially suffocated and killed.

Eating animal protein is linked to early death and cancer

New research published in the journal Cell Metabolism shows that eating high levels of protein from animal sources – such as meat, milk and eggs – increases the risk of death from cancer by four times and the overall risk of early death by 75 per cent in people aged 50-65.

Animal Aid takes action against cruel Cambridge experiments

Animal Aid was joined by Cambridge activists on March 6 as it stepped up the pressure against cruel animal experiments performed at the city’s university. The day of peaceful protest featured Animal Aid’s ‘battle bus’ and follows the recent discovery of a particularly disturbing experiment that involved the surgical mutilation of heavily pregnant sheep and the partial suffocation of their unborn lambs. The ‘procedure’ was supported by the British Heart Foundation.

Why Cheltenham Racecourse is the most lethal in Britain: A major new Animal Aid analysis

Crowded races, long distances to run, the use in demanding events of novice horses, stiff fences and challenging racing ground … these are key factors that lead to more horses being killed at Cheltenham Racecourse than at any other track in Britain, according to a detailed new Animal Aid analysis.

It's official: Badger culls were 'ineffective and failed humaneness test'

An independent scientific assessment of last year's pilot badger culls in parts of Gloucestershire and Somerset has concluded that they were not effective. And that more than 5 per cent of the shot badgers took longer than five minutes to die, thus failing the test for humaneness.

The government Minister George Eustice told The Times that the government was not bound to heed the advice of the report and that it could approve a nationwide badger killing programme.

Home Office document reveals disturbing scale of research programme on pregnant animals

Animal Aid has obtained an official document revealing that the pregnant sheep experiment recently featured on our Victims of Charity website – and which was financially supported by the British Heart Foundation (BHF) – was part of a vast research programme that was scheduled to use up to 4,805 pregnant animals, including 3,750 rats and mice, 850 sheep, 125 pigs and 80 ponies.

Massacre at the Windsor Estate: 7,000 wild animals killed in one year

More than 7,000 wild animals were killed on the Windsor Estate during 2013, according to a Freedom of Information request by campaign group, Animal Aid. While the figures for January were not recorded due to ‘a change in both staff and regime’, the number of animals killed throughout the rest of the year totalled 7,129.

Southwell Racecourse: Six horse deaths since 14 January

Six horses have died on Southwell Racecourse’s All-Weather (AW) track since January 14, and yet racing’s regulator and the industry as a whole has remained almost silent on this shocking level of attrition. Sadly, Animal Aid is used to encountering profound racing industry complacency when it comes to routine equine fatalities. However, by any standard, for six horses to die in just four weeks on a single course is both distressing and shameful.

Demonstration for the Sellafield Deer

A demonstration to save a small herd of roe deer trapped inside Sellafield’s double fencing took place at the weekend. The demo – and the plight of the deer – was covered in today's (17 February) Daily Mail. Thank you to everyone who has spoken up to try to stop the company from shooting the deer. Please keep the pressure up!

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ASA's 'perverse' ruling on anti-vivisection ad

Animal Aid has pledged to campaign more robustly than ever against the large-scale suffering involved in the breeding and use, in biomedical experiments, of genetically modified mice. The undertaking comes in response to a decision by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) to uphold a complaint by a pro-vivisection lobby group against the content of an advert that the national campaign group placed in three national newspapers in June 2013.

Marius the giraffe

Following the killing of Marius the giraffe in a Danish zoo, Animal Aid’s Director, Andrew Tyler, wrote an opinion piece for The Mirror describing the killing as ‘business as usual for the modern zoo’ and urging those who are upset by the death of Marius to ‘resolve never again to visit a zoo, marine animal establishment, safari park or any other prettily-named animal prison’.

Animal Aid concerned by silence on animal flood victims

Whilst the flooding across the UK has dominated headlines for the past few weeks, the focus has been on the impact on humans and the financial cost of property damage. However, little is being said about the farmed animals affected by this crisis.

Government exposes its lack of commitment to reducing animal research

Nearly four years ago, the government pledged to deliver a plan for reducing the number of animals used in experiments. Specifically, it said it would ‘end the testing of household products on animals and work to reduce the use of animals in scientific research’. Since that time, there has been a significant increase in the total number of animals used and no progress on the ban on household product testing.

Save the Sellafield Deer

A herd of roe deer have become trapped between two security fences at Sellafield nuclear power station in Cumbria. Rather than releasing them, the company has agreed to cull them – on the advice of the Deer Initiative, which is largely made up of pro-hunt, pro-shoot, pro-stalking interests.

Help to build opposition to the Cheltenham Festival

Animal Aid’s Battle Bus will be in Cheltenham on 7 & 8 March, a few days before the 2014 Festival commences, in order to build local opposition to the event. Can you join us and help to leaflet people in the city centre?

Take the Big Veg Pledge this March

Are you thinking about going veggie? Maybe you know someone who is? March is Veggie Month and it’s the perfect time to go meat-free by taking part in Animal Aid’s Big Veg Pledge. Adopting a vegetarian diet is easy, healthy, environmentally friendly and compassionate, saving the lives of hundreds of animals each year. Give it a try and get all the help you need!

Animal Aid condemns 'cruel and pointless' creation of GM monkeys

Researchers in China have used a new genome editing procedure to create genetically modified (GM) macaques. These are the latest victims of a growing scientific trend that is based on faulty, over-simplistic science and has repeatedly failed to produce advances in human medicine.

Animal Aid calls for BBC to end its pro-vivisection propaganda

Last night’s (28 January) BBC report from Oxford University’s animal laboratory presented the public with a dishonest, overwhelmingly positive picture of animal research. The BBC now has a pressing duty to show the other side – the suffering of the animals and the faulty scientific premise that lies at the heart of animal use.

Government's wildlife massacre continues

(And guess who's paying for it?)

The government is continuing its cull of ruddy ducks. Thousands have already been shot and, according to reports today, there are just 50 or so left in the UK. The cost of shooting the remaining ducks – paid for by the taxpayer – is £2,400 per bird.

Animal Aid Demands Closure of Southwell Racecourse

Four horses dead in just three days of racing

Animal Aid is calling for the immediate closure of Southwell Racecourse, following the third horse death in just two days of racing. Two of the victims died violently in starting stall incidents.

Grand National 2014 – join the protest!

If you have ever wanted to join the annual protest against the notorious Grand National, this is the year to do it! Cheap train tickets have just become available which means you can, for example, get a return from London to Aintree for £28.

New investigation reveals the reality of ‘enriched’ cages

Two years after the battery cage was banned across the EU, Animal Aid has released new undercover footage of the so-called ‘enriched’ cages that have replaced them on many British farms, as well as a new factfile about the farming industry’s campaign to stop an outright ban on cages.

Paterson admits overstating number of cows infected with bovine TB

Owen Paterson – the government Minister responsible for the badger cull – has admitted that the number of cows infected with bovine TB over the past two years has been ‘overstated’. A problem with Defra’s IT system is to blame and Paterson has said that the data ‘will be revised significantly downwards for 2012 and 2013’.

Animal Aid launches innovative new anti-vivisection initiative

Animal Aid has launched a groundbreaking new online initiative, which marks the beginning of a critical phase in its campaign to stop medical charities funding vivisection. Every few weeks, the new Victims of Charity microsite will expose a recent example of charity-funded vivisection and empower the public to take action easily and effectively, using email and social media.

Animal-friendly New Year's resolutions

After all the excesses of the festive season, January is the perfect time to make positive changes to your life, so why not make your New Year’s resolution to be healthier, happier and more compassionate?