An Extreme Voice from the Past Resurfaces
Animal rights extremist Dr. Jerry Vlasak resurfaced earlier this summer to take part in a workshop hosted by Animal Activism Mentorship (AAM), a group which seeks to educate and influence future generations of activists. If you haven’t previously heard of Dr. Vlasak, a former trauma surgeon, that’s because he’s remained relatively silent for the past few years. He’s best known for making several incredibly dangerous and deplorable comments in the past about the “benefits” of killing health researchers who conduct research in animals. Read more.
Must Fido Pay the Price for Saving Human Lives?
For years, thousands of beagles suffered inhumane conditions at a Virginia breeding house, where they were raised as test animals for medical researchers. Now it’s being shut down and the dogs are up for adoption, raising fresh questions about the ethics of animal testing. VOA’s Veronica Balderas Iglesias investigates. Watch now.
Clifford: Misinformation campaigns against animal testing can cost human lives
We’ve all witnessed the severe, at times deadly dangers of misinformation campaigns.
False claims have fueled COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy around the globe. Nearly one-quarter of Americans remain unvaccinated and the impacts have been tragic. A Kaiser Family Foundation study released this past December estimated that between June and November of 2021, failure to vaccinate led to 163,000 U.S. deaths. During the same period, 690,000 vaccine-preventable hospitalizations occurred racking up $13.8 billion in hospital costs nationwide. Read more.
Opinion: Time to Take Animal Rights Harassment More Seriously
The escalating harassment of scientists and public health officials has become a sinister and alarming trend. According to a recent study released by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, there were 1,499 unique reports of harassment across local health departments in the US during the initial stages of the pandemic. Academic researchers—especially infectious disease experts who publicly urged vaccinations and mask-wearing—experienced this growing rage as well. A report published in the March 24, 2022 issue of Science revealed that threats and harassment of researchers is on the rise, with 38 percent of surveyed scientists reporting at least one type of recent attack, including insults and death threats. Read more.
Facts about monkeypox and animal research
It is not new news that individuals and groups engaged in political campaigns against animal research rarely miss an opportunity to amplify their message and promote their agenda by jumping on current world events. A look at PETA’s webpage, for example, will tell you about PETA Germany’s efforts to rescue pets in war-torn Ukraine and, for PRIDE month, an article titled “A Quick History Lesson: How Queer Icons Teamed Up With PETA to Save Animals.” Read more.
KGMI’s Joe Teehan talks to Jim Newman from Americans for Medical Progress
KGMI’s Joe Teehan talks to Jim Newman from Americans for Medical Progress about a recent ruling impacting people who work in animal research. Listen now.
Federal Judge Orders Injunction to Protect University of Washington Committee Members
A federal judge recently sided with members of a University of Washington research committee seeking to protect themselves and their families from escalating harassment by animal rights activists. U.S. District Judge Richard A. Jones granted a motion for preliminary injunction which prevents the University of Washington from releasing personal information requested by animal activists. If released, the details could be used to intimidate or threaten committee members. Read more.
This Activist Group Tapped Into Partisan COVID Politics To Make Big Trouble For Anthony Fauci And The NIH
The White Coat Waste Project has pulled the “lab leak” strings and channeled right-wing anger over COVID to pursue its goal of defunding animal experiments backed by the federal government. Read more.
Letter to the Editor: Benefits of animal health studies
The animal-rights group White Coat Waste Project portrays itself as a “champion for animals” (Letter to the Editor: A Champ for Animals – April 17) while at the same time lobbying to defund necessary health studies in animals. Read more.
Letter to the editor: Critic of animal testing repeats multiple inaccuracies
There’s so much incorrect information in Gina Garey’s March 29 letter criticizing animal testing, it’s hard to know where to begin.
First, “adverse reactions to drugs” are not the fourth leading cause of death in the United States. Accidents, including car accidents, are. Adverse drug reactions are not even in the top 10! Read more.