CEN/Cruelty Free InternationalA German laboratory, which made headlines after footage emerged showing monkeys screaming in pain with harnesses around their necks, has had its license revoked.
The Mienenbüttel-based site, run by the Laboratory of Pharmacology and Toxicology, will now shut down permanently following an inspection, and has been given two weeks to hand over all its animals still residing there.
It comes after animal charity Cruelty Free International conducted its own investigation, which made some horrifying discoveries in October last year.
Now, the organisation behind the laboratory has two weeks to hand over all the animals which are currently there.
CENCruelty Free International’s director of public affairs, Kerry Postlewhite, said, via the Mirror:
We are delighted that the authorities have taken action to hold LPT accountable.
The levels of animal cruelty and breaches of law exposed by our investigation are totally unacceptable.
The evidence from our findings has lifted the lid on the secrecy that continues to surround the use of animals in these outdated tests and highlights the need for a review of toxicity testing throughout Europe.
Cruelty of this nature cannot be allowed to take place in any laboratory.
Now, the charity is calling for a review of toxicity testing throughout the whole of the European Union.
Truly horrifying footage, which emerged last year, showed monkeys crying like newborn babies while being trapped by metal harnesses around their necks.
CENFriedrich Mülln from Soko Tierschutz, an organisation who worked alongside Cruelty Free International, said:
The animals were even still waggling their tails when they were being taken to be killed, the dogs were desperate for human contact.
The worst treatment was kept for the monkeys. The macaques breed of monkeys are small, relatively light primates, which are often used for animal experiments at LPT.
They are kept in cramped conditions in small cages. Many of the animals have developed compulsive tendencies and are seen going round in circles.
The harrowing footage also shows toxicology tests being undertaken on cats, dogs and rabbits, showing them in an incredibly distressed state.
CEN/Cruelty Free International and SOKO TierschutzCFI says the tests involve poisoning animals to see how much of a certain chemical or drug it will take to cause serious harm, in a bid to decide how much a ‘safe’ amount would be for humans.
The animals are said to have been injected or forced to eat more and more of the substances so testers could measure the toxic effects. Horrific side effects included internal bleeding, vomiting, respiratory distress, organ failure, lethargy, skin problems and sometimes death.
They said the animals were never given pain relief, while an undercover worker said staff were not trained in caring for animals and were often violent towards them.
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Emma Rosemurgey is an NCTJ trained Journalist who started her career by producing The Royal Rosemurgey newspaper in 2004, which kept her family up to date with the goings on of her sleepy north east village. She graduated from the University of Central Lancashire in Preston and started her career in regional newspapers before joining Tyla (formerly Pretty 52) in 2017, and progressing onto UNILAD in 2019.