MP’s to support Ricky Gervais in dog cruelty campaign

Ricky Gervais and Peter Egan call out UK’s factory farm that breeds dogs for ‘painful and terrifying’ toxicity experiments

“I’m deeply shocked to learn that thousands of beautiful Beagles are intensively bred, right here in the peace of the British countryside, for painful and terrifying toxicity experiments that are also now proven to entirely fail the search for human treatments and cures.”

Comedian Ricky Gervais and vegan actor and advocate Peter Egan have launched a campaign to ban factory farms breeding dogs for “painful toxicity” experiments that take place in labs across the UK.

UK law currently requires all new medicines to be tested on two animals before being given before being allowed on the market — one rodent and one non-rodent, commonly dogs. Beagles have been used to developed new drugs for serious illnesses in humans — including high cholesterol, asthma, epilepsy, diabetes and also cancer.

The latest figures show dogs were used in 4,227 experiments in 2019. Beagles were used for 96% of tests. People for the Ethical Treatment on Animals say most of the drug testing sees dogs repeatedly force-feed or forcing inhale substances between 28 and 90 days to measure the effects of repeat exposure on the liver, kidneys, lungs, heart and nervous system.

Animal testing futile for human cures

Cameron in her EDM notes that scientists in the wider scientific community including experts in the pharmaceutical industry, the Editor in Chief of the British Medical Journal, and the US-based National Cancer Institute openly acknowledge the failure of animal testing in the search for human treatments and cures. Moreover, the Food and Drug Administration states that 9 out of 10 new medicines fail to pass human trials because animals cannot predict responses in humans.

 “Dogs are man’s best friend, yet thousands of Beagles are bred every year in the UK, for painful toxicity experiments that are today widely reported to be failing the search for human treatments and cures,” Dr Cameron told the Mirror.

‘Ban the factory farming of dogs’

“Please help us raise awareness of this appalling state of affairs. Help me ban the factory farming of dogs with a thorough public scientific hearing, to judge the outdated and false claims about human medicine which continue to fund this terrible cruelty to man’s best friend.”

Peter Egan added: “With the recent passing of Finns Law Part Two, cruelty to dogs and other animals comes with an up to five years prison sentence. I am appalled, therefore, to learn that thousands of dogs are incarcerated in intensive breeding units, right here in the UK, to prepare them for frightening and painful experiments that can involve being force-fed chemicals for up to 90 days, with no pain relief or anaesthetic.

“Experts in the scientific community report widely on the failure of these procedures in the search for human treatments and cures, including the Editor in Chief of the British Medical Journal and the FDA, which states that nine out of ten new medicines fail to pass clinical trials because animals cannot predict human responses”

UK law on animal experiments

Currently, UK law requires all new medicines to be tested on two animals before being rolled out in the market — one rodent and one non-rodent, commonly dogs.

“Please join me in asking the Government to mandate this science hearing: ask your MP to sign EDM 175.”

Mike Amesbury MP for Northwich has teamed up with Dr Lisa Cameron MP, chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Dog Welfare (APDAWG), to launch an Early Day Motion (EDM 175) calling on Government to mandate a rigorous public scientific hearing on claims animal experiments can predict responses in humans.

Mike Amesbury says he is backing the campaign seeking to ban the factory farming of dogs for use in laboratory experiments, which the After Life creator is leading on with his co-star Peter Egan.

Mr Amesbury has written to the Environment Secretary George Eustace MP, asking him to support this demand after receiving a number of letters from his own constituents.

In his letter, the Weaver Vale MP said: “I understand that Ricky Gervais, a global public figure, has launched an expose with After Life co-star Peter Egan, to uncover harrowing footage of the factory farming of laboratory dogs, right here in the UK.

“The harrowing footage filming at MBR Acres, Cambridgeshire, reveals panic-stricken distress cries from up to 2,000 Beagles bred annually at MBR and kept indoors for their entire lives.

“MBR workers can be seen grabbing dogs by the scruff of the neck and piling them into overcrowded trolleys.

“Pitiful cries can be heard as individually crated dogs are loaded onto a lorry to be taken to laboratories across the UK.”

Mr Amesbury goes to explain how when the dogs reach their final destination, they are subjected to experiments which can involve force feeding chemicals directly into their stomachs for 90 days, with no pain relief or anaesthetic.

“The dogs are killed at the end of the experiment,” he added.

“This is horrendous and should not be happening. Dogs are family members.

“The Government has recently launched its Pet Taskforce to tackle the reported rise in pet thefts and bring those involved in this illegal market to justice.

“And with the recent passing of Finn’s Law Part Two, inspired by the bravery of police dog Finn, cruelty to dogs and other animals can now mean spending up to five years in prison.”

Mr Amesbury went on to say how EDM 175 calls for a fair public scientific hearing that can advise decision makers about the influence exerted by ‘outdated lobbyists’ from a widely acknowledge ‘failed scientific practice’ and how animal experiments are ‘failing the search for human treatments and cures’.

He added: “This medical failure is reported by leading experts including Dr Fiona Godlee, Editor in Chief of the British Medical Journal and scientists working at the US-based Food and Drug Administration which states nine out of ten human medicines fail to pass human clinical trials because animals cannot predict human responses.

“I am asking the government to mandate this fair call for public scientific hearing, as an urgent priority for all our sakes; for human patients, for man’s best friend, our loyal and faithful dogs, and all other animals.”