07/21/06 Day of Fighting Animal Experiments
Exactly one year after the rescue of the beagles from the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Animal Friends invite the public to mark a Day of Fighting Animal Experiments
July 21, 2005: frightened, traumatized, fractured, injured, sick, undernourished, after spending years in narrow dirty cages.... 32 beagle dogs, with 22 of them already having fractured bones in their right hind legs by Antun Brkic, were given to their adopting families thanks to the speedy disclosure of illegal experiments and unaniomous support of public and the media!
Although the charges were pressed against the actors of the beagle affair – Antun Brkic from the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine in Zagreb and Slobodan Vukicevic from the University of Zagreb Medical School – on the grounds of breaking Animal Welfare Act and relevant rule books, not even after a year no one responsible was sanctioned because of illegal acts at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and the suffering of to death predestined animals. It's a shame that the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, as well as the veterinary profession, didn't distancethemselves from nor condemn the self-willed and illegal acts of their members, thus increasing doubt about the non-transparency of the work of veterinarians and university institutions which should think about their reputation and credibility.
The beagles from the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine are rescued, but numerous animals still suffer and die in animal labs in Croatia and worldwide because of the absurd and cruel experiments. Therefore, Animal Friends will this year start to mark the anniversary of rescuing the beagles as the Day of Fighting Animal Experiments. Do not forget the millions of animals who scream in laboratories worldwide! Show that you care and join the protest which will happen on Friday, June 21, 2006, with the beginning at 12 noon, Prilaz baruna Filipovica 29, in front of Pliva, that is the main entrance to GlaxoSmithKline company, and will continue through Zagrebacka ulica and Ilica all the way to Ban Jelacic Square.
'GlaxoSmithKline is a notorious and unscrupulous animal torturer, which recently bought Pliva's 'research' center,' says Snjezana Klopotan, campaign coordinator. 'This is the second largest pharmaceutical company in the world, which in the name of profit sorely kills about 20,000 animals every year, like monkeys, rats, mice, cats and dogs, fish, a few birds and some animals like pigs and sheep. Precisely for this reason we decided to mark the first Day of Fighting Animal Experiments by gathering and protesting in front of this company.'
Day of Fighting Animal Eperiments marks the fight that will last until all animal experiments end. Do not forget the beagles from the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine in Zagreb! They are liberated, but the actors of this affair have still not been punished.