APDAWG is an All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) set up in 2017 to explore, highlight, discuss and challenge dog-related activities, legislation, and trends with the overall aim of improving the health and welfare of the UK’s dogs and dog owners, and society in general. For more information about APPGs click here.
APDAWG is chaired by Dr Lisa Cameron MP, with vice chairs including Zac Goldsmith MP, John McNally MP, Andrea Jenkyns MP, Ross Thompson MP, Tommy Sheppard MP, Ann Clwyd MP; with many other Parliamentarians, campaigners & ethical charities giving APDAWG their generous support.
APDAWG meetings take place in Portcullis House (opposite Big Ben) usually every quarter. Meetings take the style of informal presentations about dog welfare topics followed by discussion encouraging further positive legislative change to improve UK dog welfare.
Across the world; animals in labs are suffering in the most terrible ways. One of the aims of Lab Animal Week is to expose the suffering which goes on behind closed doors; and most importantly, to show that the are often NON ANIMAL research initiatives in existence which promote medical research without the use of animal models.
Here we are going to provide you with an insight into the UK organisation ‘Animal Free research’; and expose the many current research programs that they are working on which do not involve the use of animals at all.
Animal Free Research UK began as the Dr Hadwen Trust for Humane Research in 1970.
Walter Robert Hadwen was born in Woolwich on 3rd August 1854. He left school at thirteen, having passed his preliminary examination for entrance into the Pharmaceutical Society.
In 1872, at the age of eighteen, he moved to London where he had obtained a post at a pharmacy in Bedford Square.
It was also when he was about 21 that he became a vegetarian – originally betting a fellow-student that he could not live six months without meat. He not only proved that he could, but that he was in much better health.
He had already been upset at the suffering of animals killed for meat, and now he was convinced that the slaughter was both unnecessary and wrong. At the age of 22 he wrote: “For my part I am quite satisfied with my trial of Vegetarianism, and it would take more than mortal power to persuade me once again to make my stomach a graveyard for the purpose of burying dead bodies in!”
It is based in Hertfordshire which is a county in England, UK.
Animal Free Research UK began in 1970 when the British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection (BUAV), now called Cruelty Free International, set up the Dr Hadwen Trust for Humane Research in honour of its former president, Dr Walter Hadwen.
We are a grant-giving trust, set up to award grants to scientists to help replace the use of animals in medical research. We split from the BUAV in 1980 and became a charity in our own right.
We became an incorporated charity in 2013 and in April 2017, we adopted the working name Animal Free Research UK.
Click on the following link to get more information on medical research which is currently being undertaken WITHOUT the use of any animal testing – also the further options to select other medical research projects
Each year during Laboratory Animal Week, many volunteers proudly don red sashes and take to the streets, shaking a can on behalf of laboratory animals everywhere. These activities make a huge difference by raising much needed funds and increasing public awareness about our work.
Lab Animal Week 2006
The horrific story of the six (UK) human volunteers in the disastrous TGN1412 drug trial has forced some scientists to concede that the kind of non-animal alternative that we have been pushing should have been used.
TGN1412 had been extensively tested on animals. The dose that was given to the volunteers was 500 times lower than that which had caused no ill effects in monkeys.
It is accepted that animal models are poor predictors of the effects in humans, with around a third of all new drugs failing in human clinical trials. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), the Government health watchdog, says that doses in clinical trials should be 100 times lower than doses that are safe in animals.
When the story broke, we were able to give the media details of species difference and of non-animal alternatives such as microdosing. Other commentators had to agree. Microdosing is a system that would replace many animal tests, as it involves administering ultra-low doses of a drug to human volunteers and analysing the results. It avoids species differences, it saves animals, and it is safer for the human volunteers
Goal: Punish the man who allegedly starved a dog nearly to death
A dog became seriously ill after he was seemingly starved and denied vital veterinary care. He appeared so emaciated that his bones showed through his skin. Demand justice for this innocent animal.
Dog Raped by Oregon Man Deserves Justice.
This case is horrifying. An Oregon man brutally raped his fiancée’s dog in a drunken rage after she wouldn’t respond to his text messages. The small Lhasa Apso, named Estrella, had to be euthanized.
Estrella lost her life — but her attacker only served 60 days in jail, because that is the maximum allowed under current law. He is already out of jail, posing a dire threat to animals and humans.
We must speak out for stronger animal protections in Oregon, to stop people who torture animals from being let right back out onto the streets.
The Bayer annual shareholder meeting is very soon taking place – Friday 26th April. Demand that its CEO, Werner Baumann, step down.
Bayer is dragging suffering cancer patients through court. It’s churning out one toxic pesticide after another while lobbying hard to keep them on the market. And it’s gained unprecedented control over our food supply by merging with Monsanto.
One man is responsible for all this: Werner Baumann, CEO of Bayer-Monsanto. And the time is overdue for him to resign.
You can help make it happen. Friday, April 26, is Bayer’s big annual shareholder meeting. To make the case that Baumann’s greedy business model is hurting people, the planet — and Bayer’s reputation.
WAV Comment – Is this footage not showing the abuse and torment that circus ‘performing’ animals are being forced to endure the world over every day ? – and the fact that thickhead humans are paying money to see a terrified bear cub riding a motorbike just exceeds how stupid some people can be. Fortunately for these cubs, AA is now coming to their rescue. We call for a worldwide ban on the use of all animals in pathetic circus shows.
BREAKING: Rescue operation to free two endangered bear cubs from Vietnamese circus begins following Animals Asia exposé
24 April 2019
Rescue team arrives at Central Circus in Hanoi, Vietnam to rescue two juvenile moon bears – a protected species – filmed openly performing on stage during investigation.
Today (Wednesday 24 April) an Animals Asia rescue team has arrived at Hanoi’s Central Circus to rescue two juvenile moon bear cubs who were spotted performing on stage at the facility.
Moon bears are an endangered species protected under Vietnamese law with their poaching, trade and commercial exploitation a criminal offense.
The rescue team will bring the bears, whom the team has named Sugar and Spice, to Animals Asia’s Vietnam Bear Rescue Centre where they will receive immediate care and attention.
Animals Asia Vietnam Director Tuan Bendixsen said:
“It’s quite clear that these cubs have found themselves in Hanoi’s Central Circus through illegal means. Thankfully, the authorities have acted swiftly and firmly, sending a clear message to those who exploit wild species that they are not above the law.
“For Sugar and Spice the nightmare of poaching, training, performing and a completely unsuitable living environment ends today. From now on their needs come first and we can begin to heal the physical and psychological suffering they have endured.”
The bears were first discovered by an Animals Asia investigative team which visited the circus in March to monitor the treatment of animals in performances.
The team was shocked to discover the two moon bear cubs – who are estimated to weigh around 50 kilogrammes each and be less than a year old – openly performing dangerous tricks on stage in a clear breach of Vietnamese law.
Following Animals Asia’s exposé, the government intervened and swiftly determined the bears be rescued and sent to the safety of Animals Asia’s nearby sanctuary in Tam Dao National Park, Vinh Phuc province.
Animals Asia’s 2017 report into animal performance revealed six protected species – moon bears, orangutans, macaques, elephants, pythons and crocodiles – were being exploited at circuses across Vietnam.
To date, no facility has been able to explain the origin of their protected species, yet today’s rescue marks the first time the authorities have taken punitive action against a circus or tourist facility in possession of a protected species.
With facilities unable to breed bears and their poaching and sale illegal, serious questions remain as to how the animals are being obtained.
In a letter to Animals Asia, Hanoi Central Circus claimed the bear cubs were brought to the circus completely at random by two men who were seeking medical help for the cubs.
Having nursed the bears back to health, trainers then taught the animals some tricks leading to a stage show in front of audiences.
Implausibly, the circus also claims they did not inform the authorities about the bears because they believed the original owners would return to collect them.
Animals Asia Animal Welfare Director Dave Neale said:
“This could be a real breakthrough in efforts to curb wildlife crime in Vietnam’s animal entertainment industry. Circuses appear to have flouted Vietnam’s laws and exploited protected species with relative impunity until now.
“The rescue of Sugar and Spice will change their lives forever sparing them years of abuse, but it is also a spark of hope that the authorities may be willing to take a closer look at other facilities exploiting endangered and protected species in the country.”
Animals Asia is currently petitioning the Vietnam government to ban wild animal performance and send the animals to recognised rescue centres and sanctuaries.
The petition currently has more than 120,000 signatures and will be presented to the Ministry of Culture, Sport and Tourism during a meeting with the charity in May.
Hanoi Central Circus is also believed to be holding eight adult moon bears and a 30-year-old elephant, as well as a number of pythons, crocodiles and macaques – all species protected from exploitation by Vietnamese law.
Sugar and Spice are two traumatised bear cubs, just months old. They have been poached from the wild and their mother very likely killed in front of their eyes because she would never let them go without a fight.
With no survival skills, Animals Asia will care for them for the rest of their lives. It’s a huge commitment – potentially up to 30 years – but one we unflinchingly make because without us these bears have nobody.
Now we need YOU to help mend the psychological trauma meted out to these two poor babies; to teach them how to be bears and to give them a safe environment which will challenge, stimulate and delight them for the rest of their lives. Please, give what you can today to save Sugar and Spice and give them new lives worth living.
The number of Australians leaving meat off their plate continues to climb, according to a new report by independent research company Roy Morgan.
The report found that 2.5 million Australians, or 12.1 percent of the population, now eat food that is all “or almost all” vegetarian, up from 2.2 million in 2014.
Why are Australians ditching meat?
A previous study from Roy Morgan released found nearly half of Australians are eating less red meat, which has been linked to an increased risk for health conditions such as heart disease and certain forms of cancer.
Findings for the recent study highlight how despite the rise of meat-free diets, body mass index (BMI)has reached an all-time high in Australia. Experts, including the creator of BMI, have said that it cannot be used to determine an individual’s health, according to NPR.
Despite the study’s focus on health, Roy Morgan CEO Michele Levine believes that the recent animal rights-focused protests have played a role in inspiring more Australians to eat more vegan food.
“For many protesters a key part of securing better treatment of animals is to practice and promote embracing vegetarianism – and the message is getting through to an increasing number of Australians,”Levine said in a statement.
Earlier this month, a demonstration in Melbourne involving more than 100 individuals taking to the streets to urge others to watch the 2018 documentary“Dominion” made headlines worldwide.
According to Roy Morgan’s consumer profiling, “Metrotechs,” or young singles in Australia’s inner cities represent the biggest group of vegetarians with nearly a fifth (18.2 percent) saying they don’t eat meat. In the US and the UK, Millennials are more likely to buy plant-based food.
January 2018 research from Euromonitor International found that Australia is the third fastest-growing vegan food market in the world.
More restaurant chains are adapting to this. Hungry Jack’s, Australia’s Burger King, now serves vegan breakfast sandwiches and cheeseburgers. Domino’s Australia launched a fourth vegan pizza last March due to the success of its other options.
McDonald’s also teased that it’s working on new meat-free options Down Under. Australia-born vegan fast food chain, Lord of the Fries, continues to expand across the country and soon, internationally.
The stakes have never been higher – a radical movement such as Extinction Rebellion can act as a catalyst for political debate and change
For decades, we have faced an incontrovertible truth: that human lifestyles are risking the future habitability of our planet. For decades, political leaders have invoked rousing rhetoric in the face of this challenge while failing to act to avert catastrophe. Climate change is an existential risk to the future and the window available to prevent disastrous overheating is closing rapidly.
Only now, almost 30 years after the International Panel on Climate Change published its first report setting out the scientific evidence, is there any sense that something may be shifting in popular and political perceptions. Extinction Rebellion protesters have brought parts of central London to a standstill, their action coming in the wake of the school climate strikes, when more than 1.4 million young people took part globally. For his part, the governor of the Bank of England, Mark Carney, warned the financial sector last week that it must take the threat seriously, framing the argument in terms that it understands best: that in a heated world there is a real risk to profit margins.
The EPA records show that 250,000 gallons per day were dumped into waterways from January 2016 through June 2018 and that 74 of the 98 slaughterhouses had exceeded their permit limits for nitrogen, fecal bacteria, and other pollutants.
Additionally, more than half the slaughterhouses had five violations, and a third had at least 10 violations. Some of these slaughterhouses are dumping as much nitrogen pollution as small cities!
Eric Schaeffer, executive director of the Environmental Integrity Project, said in a statement:
State environmental agencies need to start cracking down on and penalizing these flagrant violations of the federal Clean Water Act. And EPA needs to step in and set stronger national water pollution standards for meat processing plants.
The records also rank the worst polluters in the U.S. by total nitrogen released and name the JBS pork processing plant in Beardstown, Illinois, as the most polluting slaughterhouse in the U.S. last year. The slaughterhouse released an average 1,849 pounds of nitrogen a day into a nearby stream leading to the Illinois River. According to the EPA, that’s equivalent to the nitrogen in raw sewage from a city of 79,000 people.
In addition to destroying waterways, toxins from factory farms contaminate our drinking water.A report from Environmental Working Group found that systems supplying drinking water to millions of Americans contain dangerously high levels of nitrates, which have been linked to increased risk of certain cancers.
But factory farms don’t just devastate the environment and compromise our health—they cause immense suffering for billions of animals.
Pigs, cows, chickens, and other farmed animals face unthinkable horrors: cruel caged confinement; brutal mutilations; and bloody, merciless deaths.
Don’t believe us? Just watch this recent Mercy For Animals undercover investigation at a JBS pig factory farm that exposed workers kicking and punching animals in their faces, ripping out the testicles of baby pigs without any pain relief, and violently smashing baby pigs headfirst against the ground to kill them.
The single best thing we can do to protect animals, ourselves, and the planet from the cruel and destructive factory farming industry is to eliminate our consumption of meat and other animal products altogether.
