British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection
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The British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection (BUAV) is a British animal protection group based in London, which campaigns for the complete abolition of all animal experiments. BUAV engages in education, research, lobbying, investigations, including undercover work in laboratories, and legal cases that further the cause of the anti-vivisection movement. It also promotes non-animal alternatives.
The BUAV is widely regarded as one of the most respected and effective animal protection organizations in the world. It is currently the chairing organization of the European Coalition to End Animal Experiments. [1]
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[edit] Background
BUAV was founded in 1898 by Frances Power Cobbe, campaigning at first against the use of dogs in vivisection, and came close to achieving success with the 1919 Dogs (Protection) Bill, which almost became law. In recent years, it successfully lobbied the British government into abolishing the oral LD50 test in the 1990s. The BUAV was also closely involved in the lobbying which led to the adoption in the European Union of the 7th Amendment to the Cosmetics Directive, which will effectively ban both the testing of cosmetics products and their ingredients on animals and also the sale of products which have been animal-tested anywhere in the world.
[edit] Focus
In recent years, the BUAV has focused its attention in a number of new areas, including the promotion of non-animal tested products, the European Union's REACH proposal to test tens of thousands of chemicals on millions of animals and the use of non-human primates in experimentation.
The BUAV helps consumers to identify and purchase products which have not been tested on animals through its Humane Cosmetics Standard and Humane Household Product Standard. These are audited accreditation schemes for retail companies which confirm that neither their products or their ingredients are tested on animals. These standards are also run in a number of European countries and in the United States.
[edit] Undercover investigations
Among the BUAV's many undercover investigations, the most recent (September 2006) exposes the breeding and supply of monkeysfor experimentation in Europe and the US from Vietnam. Recent previous investigations include the University of Cambridge and Covance's contract testing laboratory in Germany. The BUAV is at present pursuing a judicial review against the Home Office as a result of its findings in the Cambridge investigation. (See Primate experiments at Cambridge University.)
[edit] Position on violence
In recent years, the BUAV has taken an increasingly firm stand against what it regard as animal rights extremism. BUAV campaigns director Alistair Currie wrote in May 2006 that: "The choice for the public is not between supporting the extremists and supporting the animal experimenters: there is a third way. We have a very powerful case and it's our experience that when people learn of both the suffering of animals in laboratories and the scientific failings of using animals, they will come over to us. We’re completely convinced that we’ll win this argument by changing hearts and minds, not by intimidation, blackmail and forcing people to change their behaviour against their will. [2]
[edit] Notes
- ^ The European Coalition to End Animal Experiments, retrieved August 26, 2006.
- ^ Currie, Alistair. "Darley Oaks sentencing", BUAV press release, May 11, 20006.
