TEK reported from PETA yesterday the sad story of animals suffering at the hands of pharmaceutical giant Bristol-Myers Squib. Today it is carrying another report from PETA which it is felt has an important message to publicise. Please pass on to friends and family.

"Chimpanzees—humans' closest living genetic relatives—are extremely social, intelligent individuals who have rich mental and emotional lives. They have incredible memories, they share cultural traditions that are passed down through generations, they care deeply for their families and friends, and they grieve the loss of their loved ones when they pass away.
 
Sadly, more than 900 of these remarkable beings are imprisoned in U.S. laboratories, where they are forced to endure decades of invasive procedures as well as fear, loneliness, and pain. This hellish experience leaves lifelong emotional scars on chimpanzees, and many of them resort to self-mutilation or suffer from depression and other psychological disorders after experiencing the trauma of having their minds and bodies violated.
 
Despite international criticism, the U.S. remains the only nation in the industrialized world that continues to conduct invasive experiments on chimpanzees.
 
Many of these chimpanzees have been intentionally infected with diseases such as HIV and hepatitis—even though scientists agree that they are archaic and unreliable models for researching human illnesses. A landmark National Academy of Sciences report examining the scientific validity of experiments on chimpanzee has even concluded that "most current biomedical research use of chimpanzees is not necessary." In response, the National Institutes of Health has announced that it will suspend consideration of funding for any new experiments on chimpanzees. The agency has also stated that all currently funded experiments on chimpanzees will be reevaluated and that funding for many may be ended.

Further to these efforts, Congress has introduced the Great Ape Protection and Cost Savings Act (H.R. 1513/S. 810), which would permanently end the use of chimpanzees—and all other great apes—in invasive experiments and retire more than 600 federally owned chimpanzees to sanctuaries where they could live in peace at last.

Please help protect chimpanzees and other great apes now by asking your congressional representatives to cosponsor and support the Great Ape Protection and Cost Savings Act.

Putting your subject line and letter into your own words will help draw attention to your e-mail."Follow this link to send a clear message to your representative in Congress and your Senators.
Thank-you

The information shown here is from part of a weekly e.mail newsletter from PETA.

Tell Bristol-Myers Squibb to Implement Non-Animal Tests

An insider from pharmaceutical giant Bristol-Myers Squibb recently approached PETA with disturbing allegations about animals who suffered painful and gruesome deaths through negligence. 

The whistleblower reported that a monkey and a rat had been scalded to death when the cages in which they were each housed were carelessly put into the company's mechanical high-temperature, high-pressure cage washer—with the animals still inside. In a separate incident, the whistleblower reports that several monkeys were tethered to their cage doors to be weighed and then left unattended. When workers returned to the room, they found that one of the monkeys had strangled to death.

In addition to these allegations of blatant neglect, from 2008 to 2010, Bristol-Myers Squibb tormented more than 20,000 animals in its laboratories, including more than 2,600 dogs and 3,400 primates who were imprisoned in cages, intentionally poisoned to death, and subjected to other painful and stressful procedures.

Astonishingly, these numbers do not even include the thousands of mice, rats, and other animals who are not covered under the Animal Welfare Act, and they do not include animals used in experiments contracted out by Bristol-Myers Squibb to other laboratories, such as the notorious Covance.

Bristol-Myers Squibb has long been on PETA's radar, and we have submitted a shareholder resolution this year to urge the company to be more transparent and to minimize its use of animals by implementing modern, non-animal testing methods—recommended  by the National Academy of Sciences.

Please be a voice for the animals suffering in Bristol-Myers Squibb laboratories. Take a minute of your time now to urge Bristol-Myers Squibb Vice President Elliott Sigal to implement the recommendations outlined by PETA in its shareholder resolution immediately.

This report and other updates can be viewed here, plus you can voice your concerns. Thank you

Around the end of May last year, 2011, we posted an article, on another website, regarding the Canadian annual seal slaughter. An update from PETA today, January, 25, 2012, brought some good news on the matter.

Here is last year's article:

"Early in 2011 my attention was drawn to the annual Canadian seal slaughter. Many of you, like me, may have thought that this dreadful annual event had been resigned to the scrap heap years ago. Sadly not. All countries have, or have had, their animal cruelty issues. Centuries ago the UK had bear baiting and organised dog fights. 

In spite of the RSPCAs best efforts organised dog fights, albeit illegal ones, have seen a resurgence. The fight goes on to protect UK animals and wildlife and try to encourage change around the world. In April 2011, when the annual horror story, that is the Canadian seal slaughter, was due to commence again, I received some information from Peta. It included a link to 14 terrible images of the killing.

These left me feeling rather disturbed. I have added the link as, in general, the images are too graphic to add here, for random viewing. However, I have added the least graphic image.

Brace yourself and, if you feel able, take a look. Now if you have viewed them tell me that such a practice is acceptable, especially in this day and age. Mankind appears to be far from the sophisticated, civilised creature it thinks it is, when you view these images. I know there is death and destruction going on around the world right now, as always, but spare a thought for these poor creatures. We face conflict and more at various stages of our life. If we are lucky such times are rare. This annual event causes pain and suffering each year unnecessarily.

If you feel moved to do so please lobby who you can to try and put an end to this cruelty. In the end hopefully it will be such pressure that helps implement changes to seal slaughter in Canada. That change should be a ban and needs to begin now. This way next Spring could be a different story for the seals of Canada."

Now for a copy of the PETA email January 25, 2012:

"I'm happy to share some terrific news on PETA's global fight to stop Canada's annual baby-seal slaughter. Ryan Cleary—a member of Parliament from the Canadian province where much of the seal slaughter is scheduled to take place—has now gone on the record stating that it may be time to end the massacre for good as the market for seal skin dwindles as a result of animal rights campaigns. This is terrific news and an indication that PETA's vigorous efforts are beginning to change the minds even of politicians from regions where the seal slaughter takes place.

Cleary's statement comes after a string of victories against the seal slaughter. Thanks in part to the help of thousands of caring members and supporters like you around the world, the U.S. and the European Union (E.U.) have banned seal imports, and just last month, Russia—which buys 80 percent of Canada's seal pelts—took steps to ban imports as well. This move came after Pamela Anderson made an international appeal to Vladimir Putin on PETA's behalf. In just the past year, Iggy Pop and Ke$ha starred in PETA's edgy "Canada's Club Scene Sucks" ads, Sarah McLachlan and Joan Jett penned letters urging Canada to give up its challenges of the E.U. ban, and Canada native William Shatner led our Canadian Tax Day campaign to show citizens and lawmakers that millions of Canadian taxpayer dollars are propping up the dying annual massacre. At last, after all these efforts, national media outlets across Canada are exposing the wasteful slaughter for what it is.

We have finally reached a tipping point in this campaign—the time is now to call on Canada to end the slaughter once and for all. Please take a few minutes and click here to urge Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper to stop this annual massacre"

The more of us that sign the petition this year the better. We thank you for your support