Figures released by the Home Office in July 2007 show that the UK exceeded 3 million animal experiments during 2006. That includes only experiments that might cause distress, pain, suffering or lasting harm. This is a 15-year high and makes the UK the biggest perpetrator in Europe. This included over four thousand primates, thirty-six thousand sheep and seven-and-a-half thousand dogs.

When will this senseless, unscientific and barbaric practice end?

The legislative control that is in place is the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986. However, the Home Office is failing to enforce basic provisions of that Act, resulting in lack of control and lack of will to control.

Inspectors are vets who are usually ex-vivisectors and they are anyway too few on the ground. The Government is failing in its duty of care.

Uncaged (www.uncaged.co.uk) has a campaign to bring the failure to enforce current legislation before Parliament.

Visit http://www.vote4animals.org.uk/lobby.htm for help with lobbying your MP.

Where's the RSPCA (and its £ millions) when its needed?

The AVMC has information on animal experimentation, vivisection and associated topics:

www.alternativevet.org/animal_experiments.htm

Also visit www.alternativevet.org

We have assembled a small but punchy web site, to explain the role of chiropractic for animals and how it is done. It is suitable for all species in which such a procedure is practical but is mostly requested for dogs, cats, horses, ponies, donkeys and goats and it is a potent positive influence on welfare. It is particularly valuable preceding acupuncture.

Visit: www.chiropractic-vet.co.uk

Veterinary chiropractic is important to the well-being of animals and, if properly integrated, can form an essential component of holistic care and healing.

Also visit the AVMC web site: www.alternativevet.org

Foot and Mouth virus

Quote from: http://www.defra.gov.uk/FootandMouth/latest-situation/index.htm

"On 12 September a Protection Zone and Surveillance Zone was placed around a farm in Surrey. A further 7 cases of the disease were later confirmed in Surrey and Windsor & Maidenhead. The last infected premises in the outbreak was confirmed on the 30th September. There have been no further confirmed cases of foot and mouth disease since this date."

.            .            .           .           .           .          .           .           .           .

This may mean that the second wave of infection has now died out but, in view of the novel mode of spread (supposedly the flood waters of the summer) and in view of the novel source (research laboratories at Pirbright), there is no precedent for confirming this. DEFRA has not been compelled to consider either vaccination or homeopathy, this time around.

For news of movement controls for cloven-hoofed animals, i.e. cattle, sheep, pigs, llamas, alpacas, buffalo, deer, reindeer and goats, visit:

http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/diseases/fmd/movements/index.htm

Also visit the AVMC web site: www.alternativevet.org

The UK now has Bluetongue. This had been, until September this year, an 'exotic' disease but had been marching across Europe. It is a midge-borne viral disease.

The disease affects ruminant animals (cattle, sheep, llamas, alpacas, buffalo, deer, reindeer, goats etc.). I have been in contact with European colleagues and they report that they have successfully treated cases with homeopathy. However, as yet, this is a 'notifiable disease' in the UK, which means that we are not allowed to treat cases.

If a request for treatment is received, the AVMC will contact DEFRA, to seek permission to treat. It would appear that progress of the disease may be unstoppable, by conventional means. We shall write to offer homeopathic help and help with clinical research, as we did for Foot & Mouth (FMD) and for Avian Influenza (Bird Flu). Because of the way this virus spreads (via midges), it is impossible to stop spread by the same means as for Foot and Mouth. This would make it an obvious area for homeoprophylaxis (prevention using nosodes etc.).

As at 16.30pm on 14 December 2007 there were 66 confirmed premises affected by Bluetongue. This figure will normally be updated by DEFRA weekly on a Friday where necessary.

Visit: http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/diseases/notifiable/bluetongue/latest/index.htm

http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/diseases/notifiable/bluetongue/movements/index.htm

http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/diseases/notifiable/bluetongue/pdf/declaration-btv-pzsz071114.pdf

Also visit the AVMC web site: www.alternativevet.org

Until modern medicine breaks its links with the antedeluvian practice of laboratory animal experimentation, it will continue to cause untold suffering, maiming and death in the human population at large, with as yet undiscovered side-effects of drugs. This applies in the veterinary world, too, where chronic disease and cancer are constantly rising in our animals. Welfare is not well-served in this way.

Animal experiments are bad science, quite apart from any moral or ethical questions they raise.

Until vivisection is recognised as the bad science that it is, conventional drug medicine will be a house of straw, erected on a foundation of shifting sand. We have a 'head-in-the-sand' culture about this medical tragedy.

http://www.alternativevet.org/animal_experiments.htm

http://www.alternativevet.org/iatrogenic.htm

Canine Health Concern (CHC) has released a new DVD, which discusses in depth some of the health issues that affect our dogs, including the massive issues of vaccination and diet. I play a small part in it.

It is called 'In Search of the Truth about our Dogs'.

http://www.canine-health-concern.org.uk/

Please quote this source, if you contact CHC.

This is a subject that should be of vital interest to dog owners and vets alike.