As part of the run up to World Day for Animals In Laboratories (http://www.wdail.org/), activists from the local area converged for a day of action against Harlan Laboratories. Harlan breed beagles for the vivisection industry, including the notorious Huntingdon Life Sciences. They also offer their clients the option of purchasing ‘surgically-modified’ animals. This means that some beagles undergo surgery on Harlan premises so they are experiment-ready before being transported to a client’s laboratory.

    Harlan operate from a farm just outside of Loughborough near Belton where in the secrecy of the countryside, behind razor wire fences and concentration camp style security systems, they breed and butcher their dogs.

    The day's protest began at the gate and then moved to the main road where passing motorists learned of the harrowingly cruel institution hidden on their doorstep. One passer by stopped to find out more about the campaign and what he could do to stop the suffering. Many others waved, sounded their horns or gave a thumbs up in support of the protest.

    Following this, the activists moved into Loughborough town centre (the nearest town), and set up a display of posters and an information table. Some were dressed as vivisectors with blood spattered lab coats, other handed out leaflets to curious onlookers, shocked at what Harlan and their faceless corporate customers had the heartlessness to do to man's best friend.

    These days animal testing is increasingly being denounced by doctors and scientists as being at best unreliable and at worst dangerously misleading (for more information see http://www.safermedicines.org), but it continues, one can only assume for "economic" reasons.

    The overwhelming majority of painful experiments are to enable unscrupulous companies to sell "new and improved" industrial and domestic chemical products (perhaps your oven cleaner or laundry powder among them?) and for this, dogs, cats, primates and countless other animals are put through about as much suffering as it is possible to put another feeling creature through.

    In the name of profit we have created a hell on earth complete with the kind of torture facilities, no sane person could observe and not be upset by.

    If you want to help end the madness, the first step would be not to support it financially. Only buy products from companies with a FIXED CUT OFF DATE for animal tests. A particularly ethical example would be Bio D, available from most health food shops. Supermarket own brands are also a fairly safe bet.
    The following organizations produce a guide for which brands are cruelty free and which are not:
    http://naturewatch.org/
    http://www.vegansociety.com/businesses/discounts/Animal-Free-Shopper.aspx
        (in addition to products being vegan, the Sunflower logo also means NOT tested on animals).
    http://www.gocrueltyfree.org/

    Secondly, get active! Join your local animal rights group. Most major towns have one.
   
    The ones nearest Harlan and Loughborough are:
   
    Leicester Animal Rights
    http://www.leicesteranimalrights.org.uk/
    http://www.facebook.com/groups/leicesteranimalrights

    Nottingham Animal Rights
    http://www.veggies.org.uk/nar/

    Derby Animal Rights
    http://www.derbysabs.org/   


    All will be be represented at the World Day for Animals In Laboratories march and rally in Oxford next Saturday 27th April (http://www.wdail.org/). Perhaps there is transport going from near you?

    For more information on vivisection see http://www.animalaid.org.uk/h/n/CAMPAIGNS/experiments/ALL///

    For more information on Harlan, see http://savetheharlanbeagles.com/