April 24 - World Day for the Protection of Laboratory Animals

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April 24 - this day is marked in the calendar of ecological dates as World Day for Laboratory Animals Protection (World Day for Laboratory Animals). It was established by the International Association Against Painful Animal Experiments in 1979 and is supported by the UN. Initially, the Day of Protection of Laboratory Animals was held by the animal protection organizations of individual countries. Today, around the world, a movement is actively developing against experiments and experiments on laboratory animals (vivisection), which is supported by activists of various social and animal protection organizations.

Animals have been used in various experiments since ancient times. But for a long time, experiments on them were sporadic. The concept of "laboratory animal" was formed at the end of the XIX century in connection with the rapid development of experimental biology and medicine. And in the second half of the 20th century, the method of scientific experimentation on animals took shape as an independent direction.

Today, laboratory animals are used to simulate various pathological processes and test drugs, cosmetics, cigarettes, food additives, household chemicals and other products. The main customers of the research are large pharmaceutical and cosmetic corporations. Most often, experiments are performed on mice, rabbits, monkeys and dogs. Every year, hundreds of representatives of these species die in laboratories. In addition, our smaller brothers are used to train future medical professionals and veterinarians.

It should be noted that at the initial stage of development of the science of laboratory animals, ethical issues were not relevant, since the scope of the experimental work was not great. But at the present time, questions of bioethics (the study of the moral side of human activity in medicine and biology) in this area are in the center of attention of both scientists and the public. After all, cruel experiments and tests on animals continue to exist, primarily because many consumers are not familiar with this moral problem, and manufacturers are not interested in communicating it to the final customer.

It was with the aim of attracting world attention to animal problems that World Day for the Protection of Laboratory Animals was established. And in bioethics, the fundamental principles for solving this problem were formulated.

• Experimenting with the latest science to improve the well-being of laboratory animals.
• Improving the technology of animal welfare.
• Ensuring humane and adequate use of animals in experiments.
• Reducing the total number of laboratory animals.
• Reducing the suffering and pain of animals during the experiment.

Thus, in the middle of the 20th century, in many countries of the world, a powerful social movement unfolded under the slogan "Beauty without cruelty." The results of its activities are impressive - a significant number of cosmetic enterprises switched to vegetable raw materials, i.e. without the use of animal components. And laboratory specialists gradually began to switch to alternative testing - without using animals. Products produced in a humane way are marked with the trademark - a rabbit in a circle and the inscription - “Not tested for animals” - “Not tested on animals”. Or the “V” sign is vegan.

Today, many universities of the world, including Russia, have announced their refusal to conduct experiments on animals. Students are provided with video materials and computer programs that can replace the preparation of animals. Practical skills, students acquire, dissecting the corpses of animals that have died a natural death, died as a result of an accident or were put to sleep by incurable disease.

But if in the learning process it is possible to do without a living organism, then, unfortunately, many scientific experiments are hard enough to carry out without the participation of animals. But in this case, zoodefenders have achieved positive results. For example, in 1998, the UK first banned testing cosmetics on animals and introduced a law on mandatory anesthesia during the experiment. And in the US, much attention is paid to the development of alternative testing methods.

Today, products that are not tested on animals are becoming increasingly popular with consumers, and, consequently, there are "unclean" manufacturers in this matter. In this regard, a number of important documents and Standards aimed at protecting animals were approved. In addition, the search for alternative methods for experiments on them continues.

April 24 - today, on the Day of Protection of Laboratory Animals, opponents of vivisection and supporters of humane science hold various large-scale educational campaigns and events. Their main goal is to draw public attention to the problems of our smaller brothers, doomed to experience. It is important to convey to the public and humanity as a whole the idea that there is alternative medicine, cosmetics, household chemicals and personal care products.

Of course, there are many ambiguities and contradictions in the problem of protecting the rights of laboratory animals. But they can only be resolved by a humane society.

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