After an undercover investigation by the BUAV last year and a truely pathetic investigation by the government (the report has been delayed for months due to "the need to assess the impact on the community" apparently!!) Wickham labs has been found guilty of breaching it's animal testing licence.
Wickham were found guilty of causing unnessary suffering to hundreds of mice they gased using the wrong methods. As expected the government have just asked them to try harder not to break the "rules" in the future. William Cartmall the owner of Wickham labs (and also their only vet - who is the sole person in charge of the mice and rabbits welfare) thinks it takes less than 5 minutes a day to inspect the thousands of animals at Wickham. The have recommended perhaps he takes longer! Cartmell also uses the Wickham site to operate as a vet on occasion - it is known locally he is still "attempting to operate" on animals and tail docking.
Wickham Labs was also exposed last year continuing to test Botox using the LD50 test on mice. They were filmed breaking mice backs in half with ball point pens and then using the same pen to fill in their death cards. All deemed acceptable by the Home Office.
Don't forget Wickham labs are desperate to move to lower Upham (possibly so they can build a dog unit) and SWAT has so far successfully helped stop this. But they are appealing again!
Stop Wickham and Testing and SARC Central and planning demos throughout this week please get in touch if you want to attend.
The story was briefly on local BBC television news and it has been covered in:
http://www.portsmouth.co.uk/newshome/Animal-lab-guilty-of-breaching.6644779.jp
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-11880341
http://www.buav.org/article/605/home-office-finds-wickham-laboratories-guilty-of-causing-unnecessary-animal-suffering
Wickham Labs was also exposed last year continuing to test Botox using the LD50 test on mice. They were filmed breaking mice backs in half with ball point pens and then using the same pen to fill in their death cards. All deemed acceptable by the Home Office.
Don't forget Wickham labs are desperate to move to lower Upham (possibly so they can build a dog unit) and SWAT has so far successfully helped stop this. But they are appealing again!
Stop Wickham and Testing and SARC Central and planning demos throughout this week please get in touch if you want to attend.
The story was briefly on local BBC television news and it has been covered in:
http://www.portsmouth.co.uk/newshome/Animal-lab-guilty-of-breaching.6644779.jp http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-11880341 http://www.buav.org/article/605/home-office-finds-wickham-laboratories-guilty-of-causing-unnecessary-animal-suffering
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