RDS shares the concerns of many that there should not be unnecessary animal testing as a result of the new EU chemicals testing proposals. So we were not surprised that the latest mail-shot from the National Anti Vivisection Society (NAVS) was all about these proposals.  NAVS claims they could mean a massive increase in animal testing.

Hang on a minute. Is this the same NAVS that was claiming just five years ago in their Summer 2000 newsletter that “the days of animal experimentation are numbered”?  So which is it, numbered days for animal experiments, or a massive increase? Probably neither. Only time will tell. But you obviously don’t need to be politically astute to work at NAVS.

Their sister organisation the British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection (BUAV) fares little better. Fifteen years ago in their newsletter Liberator they proposed targets to eliminate animal experiments by 2003. BUAV claimed that their ultimate objective of the abolition of vivisection “is at least within our sights.” But only last year they were complaining about “the largest number of animal experiments in the UK since 1994". Perhaps NAVS and BUAV should compare notes?