Animal testing includes a state license to torture.

According to federal statistics, 572,069 animals were used in animal experiments last year. This number has barely decreased in the last twenty years! Furthermore, the highest levels of suffering have been increasing again for the last ten years. The animals suffer not only from the procedures themselves, but also from agonizing confinement and monotony. The Zurich Animal Welfare Association is demanding an end to this cruelty and more resources for alternative methods instead of animal testing.

Basic research promotes animal waste

An analysis shows that the number of animals used in toxicology (chemical toxicity testing) has decreased to one-fifth (around 13,000 animals) in the last twenty years. In contrast, in basic research, which is conducted 88% at universities and only 10% in the pharmaceutical industry, the number of animals used has almost doubled since 2001 to over 340,000. Apparently, certain academic circles have missed the boat on animal-free research, or there is a lack of economic pressure as long as the costly animal experiments are largely funded by taxpayers.

High severity levels: severe pain and prolonged suffering in animal experiments

For the past ten years, the number of distressing animal experiments has been steadily increasing; almost a third of the animals used in experiments suffer severely (level 2, 158,124 animals) or very severely (level 3 = highest level, 18,290 animals). Mice and rats are most frequently affected. Animal testing expert Bea Roth from the Zurich Animal Welfare Association clearly demands: " Many highly distressing experiments yield little new knowledge and should be banned! "

Confined laboratory conditions – bordering on animal cruelty in animal testing

In addition to the procedures themselves, laboratory animals suffer throughout their lives from unnatural living conditions. This is most extreme in the case of mice, the most common laboratory animals (389,052 in 2019): they are allowed to be kept in space nine times smaller than that of mice kept as private pets – equivalent to two-thirds the size of a postcard. The requirements for facilities and enrichment for laboratory animals also fall far short of standard legal requirements. This demonstrates that laboratory animals are considered inferior and serve only as a means to an end. Bea Roth puts it succinctly: " Animal testing constitutes a state license to torture !"

Humans are not cats, nor rats…

What works in animals also works in humans – a widespread misconception. Over 90 percent of substances that have been successfully tested on animals fail in clinical trials in humans. Because they either don't work or work differently.

Animal-free methods: The time to rethink and act is now

The coronavirus crisis is giving research a boost and could serve as an opportunity. Since alternative methods such as cell cultures or computer models are faster, cheaper, and more informative, it is high time to move away from animal testing! Individual research groups, including those at Zurich universities, have already implemented this and are working with animal-free methods. This is all the more important in COVID-19 research because time is of the essence. However, only a fraction of research funding across Switzerland is currently being invested in the development of alternatives.

The Zurich Animal Welfare Association is therefore calling for a redistribution of federal funds towards the research and dissemination of animal-free methods and supports the corresponding petition by Animalfree Research (AfR). Bea Roth is convinced: " A world without animal testing is possible if we work towards it ."

Sign the petition now

Our demand: More public funding for scientifically sound and ethically sound biomedical research without animal testing in Switzerland. Although it is enshrined in law that alternative methods must always be preferred to animal testing in both basic and applied research, almost 600,000 animals were used for experiments in 2018.

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