Kerrymum, you are blatantly WRONG about rabbits not producing tears. I do understand that the propoganda produced by anti vivisection groups is emotive and bound to make people want to vomit. But it is biased and misleading, often simply incorrect.
I have actually been a member of a peaceful animal rights group in my rebellious past. However the group disbanded as it did not want to be associated with the lunatic thugs who basically use animals to justify their violent tendencies. I was anti vivisection, but i grew up and reaslised, its not very nice, id rather it didnt happen but it is absolutely necessary.
Research on animals, in this country at least, is tightly legislated and the animals welfare is paramount. I am not going to be niave enough to think there is no suffering and i would rather it didnt have to happen. But it does. As simple as that, we would still be living in fear of plague type illnesses and the flu would be wiping out communities if it wasnt for animal testing.
So i suppose then kerrys mum that you are vegan? I know someone who left a career in agriculture to work in research labs as she felt the animal welfare was much better in that environment. So of course, you woudlnt be eating meat or dairy products. I guess you dont wear makeup or use cleaning products, washing up liquid, washing powder? Do you wear leather shoes? hmm, do you give your children calpol when they are ill, do they have anti biotics? are they vaccinated? Have you any pets? all their medication is tessted on other animals you know.
Animal biochemistry is only marginally different to human. There IS a difference, hence the need for clinical trials in humans, but mostly all of the questions have been answered before it even gets to the animal testing stage. Its all done in the tissue culture dish. I know this because i have a biochemistry degree, i hasten to add i have never taken part or worked anywhere that has anything to do with animal testing. I have however considered becoming an animal technician because animal welfare is something very dear to me. I just didnt go down that road. Became a vet nurse for two years after my degree, i can promise you that the level of neglect i have seen regarding small animals, bunnies and rats etc in that environment astounded me. Rabbits left in their cages ALL day, hutches not cleaned out, resulting in fly strike, the results of which, i promise you, would be enough to make you vomit! All this by supposed animal lovers! Dogs neglected and poorly trained, stray cats, un vaccinated animals carrying infection, the list goes on. Im not talking about RSPCA cruelty cases, just the simple lazy neglect by owners whos pets are no longer a novelty.
i am sure none of us hear likes the thought of animal testing, but these idiots are nothing more than terrorists. If you want to do something positive to help minimise animal testing, donate money to people doing research into technologies that can carry out testing that is done in animals in vitro (in the test tube). There are organisations that fund this, the RSPCA being one of them i think.