Today the UK Government released the latest statistics for experiments carried out on animals. We are extremely disappointed by the lack of a meaningful drop during 2009.

The last figures from 2008 saw a massive 14% increase in the number of animals used in experiments. Today’s figures reveal that there were over 3.6 million experiments started on animals in 2009, representing a fall of just 1% from the year before. That is equivalent to 9,863 experiments every day (14,286 per working day), a totally unacceptable figure. 
 

• The number of tests on mice used is up 9% (2, 628,556 in total), birds up 3% (126, 781) sheep up 6% (38, 003) and cattle up 89% (4,358).
• Tests on guinea-pigs are down 35% (19, 159), pigs down 45% (3,757), rats down 6% (333, 865), fish down 34% (398, 101) and amphibians down 37% (20,715) .
• There was a 10% increase in breeding procedures using genetically modified animals (GM) and animals with a harmful defect (HM).
• Shockingly, 30% of experiments on primates in the EU take place in the UK (4,263).
• 199 horses, 11,643 rabbits, 19,049 guinea pigs, 4,129 dogs and 172 cats were subjected to distressing experiments.
• A 143% increase in the number of animals used in toxicological work to test food additives (901), an increase of 6% to test other food stuffs (8,030) and an increase of 11% to test agriculture products (18,966).
• Animals continue to be used in their thousands (438,046) for toxicity procedures such as skin irritation, eye toxicity and acute lethal toxicity.

BUAV Chief Executive Michelle Thew states:
“The UK should be leading the way in reducing animal testing. Unfortunately, these latest statistics show there is a long way to go.  Millions of animals continue to suffer and die in UK laboratories. We welcome the pledge from the new Coalition government to work to reduce the use of animals in scientific research and we look forward to working with it to make meaningful and lasting change.”

The numbers were announced today by the Home Office in the annual Statistics of Scientific Procedures on Living Animals Great Britain 2009.

Read our full press release here

27th July 2010