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Creating a Better World for Rabbits

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Creating a Better World for Rabbits WINTER 2007 A P U B L I C AT I O N O F T H E A M E R I C A N A N T I -V I V I S E C T I O N SOCIETY Spring Ahead: Creating a Better World for Rabbits VOLUME CXV, NUMBER 1 ISSN 0274-7774 Contents FEATURES Managing Editor 2 A DAmAgeD RAbbit is still A RAbbit: 15 is the Domestic RAbbit the Right Crystal Schaeffer AnD otheR ReAsons why AnimAls compAnion foR you? Copy Editor shoulDn’t be pAtenteD By Caroline Gilbert, Founder/Director, Julie Cooper-Fratrik Rabbit Sanctuary, Inc. By Nina Mak, MS, AAVS Research Analyst Rabbits can be wonderful members of the family. AAVS launched the second phase of its Ban Are they the right companions for you? Animal Patents campaign in March. Our aim now is to stop a patent on rabbits who are subjected to STAFF painful eye experiments in order to develop eye 16 whAt RAbbits Can teAch us About Tracie Letterman, Esq., drop solutions. characteR-builDing Executive Director By Laura Ducceschi, MA, Jeanne Borden, Director of Animalearn Administration Assistant 6 blinDeD foR beAuty: Humane education can be used to help instill RAbbits useD in ProDuct testing Chris Derer, Membership Coordinator reverence and respect for animal life. Laura Ducceschi, Education Director By Vicki Katrinak, AAVS Policy Analyst Heather Gaghan, Director of Rabbits are the most recognized symbol associated Development & Member Services with compassionate shopping. This recognition is 17 DiD you Know? RAbbit Facts Nicole Green, Assistant Director of somewhat dubious, however, since rabbits are so Rabbits are fascinating animals. Learn more Education widely used in product testing research. about them! Vicki Katrinak, Policy Analyst Nina Mak, Research Analyst 10 unFURgivAble: RAbbits 18 the plight of the meAt RAbbit Nicole Perry, Outreach Coordinator Dying foR Fashion By Paulette Lincoln-Baker, Crystal Schaeffer, Outreach Director Volunteers Director, RabbitWise® By Vicki Katrinak, AAVS Policy Analyst Julie Sinnamon, Office Manager Although not a popular meat choice in the U.S., While some may feel that the fur industry is dying, Lauren Zaprala, IT Manager & rabbits are exploited for their flesh and suffer in the trade in rabbit fur is thriving. Graphic Designer many of the same ways that other animals raised for food do. GRAPHIC DESIGN/ILLUSTRATION: RAbbit Research: © Copyright 2007 eureka, 12 www.abouteureka.com the cost of expeRimentAtion By Crystal Schaeffer, M.A. Ed. Down the RAbbit hole: The AV Magazine (USPS 002-660) is 22 AAVS Outreach Director living with ouR wilD neighboRs published quarterly under the auspices of Rabbits are exploited in a number of ways by many the American Anti-Vivisection Society, industries, including the biomedical industry. By Kristine Rawls, AAVS Intern Sue Leary, President. Annual membership Learning more about your wild rabbit neighbors dues: $25 .00. Third-class postage paid at will help you have a peaceful coexistence. Lancaster, Pa. Office of Publication: 801 Old York Rd., #204 COLUMNS Jenkintown, PA 19046-1685 Telephone: (215) 887-0816 Fax: (215) 887-2088 20 meDiaWatch 26 tRIBUTES E-mail: [email protected] AAVS staff speak out on behalf of animals through Special friends honored and remembered. Website: www.aavs.org the media, and AAVS launches its End Animal Cloning campaign. ARDf update Articles published in the AV Magazine may 28 be reproduced with written permission and The field of alternatives development has made a with credit given to AAVS. Also, we appreciate newsnet difference for rabbits in laboratories. receiving pertinent newspaper and magazine New24 Animal Ethics Centre Launched in UK; clippings, including their sources and dates of Medical Journal States Animal Tests Unreliable; publication. New Alternative Could Help Reduce Animal Tests; Federal Agency on Probation for its Animal When sending funds or making bequests, Care; First Female Dogs Cloned in Korea; EU please use our legal title: Implements New Chemical Testing Program. The American Anti-Vivisection Society 801 Old York Rd., #204 messAge to ouR membeRs Jenkintown, PA 19046-1685 26 Last year was a great year for AAVS and its Organized and established in 1883. programs, especially the Tina Nelson Sanctuary Fund. The American Anti-Vivisection Society does not verify all of the claims made by the authors and the individual views expressed in the AV Magazine do not necessarily reflect the policy of the organization. Printed on recycled paper. Who Are We? ounded in 1883, the American Anti- Vivisection Society (AAVS) is the oldest Rabbits are one of my favorite animals— FIRST WORD non-profitF animal advocacy and educational they are soft, fuzzy, and adorably cute. A organization in the United States dedicated lot of people must feel the same way about to ending experimentation on animals in research, testing, and education. AAVS also rabbits because there are thousands of opposes and works to end other forms of bunnies purchased every year around the cruelty to animals. We work with students, grassroots groups, individuals, teachers, the Easter holiday. Unfortunately, most of these media, other national organizations, govern- ‘Easter bunnies’ end up in shelters or are ment officials, members of the scientific abandoned in parks. Before purchasing a community, and advocates in other coun- tries to legally and effectively end the use rabbit this Easter, please consider whether of animals in science through education, a rabbit is the best choice for you and your advocacy, and the development of alternative family. Although it is tempting to purchase methods to animal use. these adorable, little creatures—especially AAVS has two main divisions, each involved for children—rabbits are not ideal pets for in specific activities. Animalearn is the small children because they do not like to be education program of AAVS, which focuses on ending vivisection and dissection in the held and can bite. If your child is asking for a rabbit this Easter, perhaps you can suggest classroom. From elementary through college a chocolate bunny. If your children are like mine, they will happily accept this sweet levels, Animalearn helps countless individu- als make their classrooms more humane. treat! Animalearn operates the most aggressive If you are really interested in having a rabbit as a pet, please do not perpetuate the dissection alternatives lending library in the country, The Science Bank; it provides alterna- rabbit pet trade. Instead, there are thousands of rabbits waiting to be rescued from local tives to using animals, from basic dissection, animal shelters or rescue groups. Visit www.rabbitrescue.com for more information through psychology experiments. Animalearn about whether you are the right person to live with a rabbit and where you can rescue also participates in national teacher confer- ences and hosts workshops to help teachers these animals. learn ways of educating without harming As a consumer, there are lots of choices that you can make to prevent the cruel and other living creatures. Animalearn’s National Humane Educators Network links interested inhumane treatment of rabbits. One obvious way is to forego rabbit, or lapin, for dinner. parties with speakers across the country, Although this dish is increasing in popularity, many people are surprised to learn that bringing the message of humane education to thousands. USDA categorizes rabbits as “poultry” and, as a result of this categorization, these animals receive no protections under the Humane Slaughter Act. The Outreach division of AAVS educates the general public about animal issues through Another easy action for animal advocates to take in eliminating cruel treatment one of the top-rated literature collections in towards rabbits is refusing to buy clothing that contains rabbit fur. Many sweaters, coats, the animal advocacy movement and the infor- gloves and other clothing contain rabbit fur. Surprisingly, ethically minded consumers mative AAVS website. Our quarterly publica- tion, AV Magazine, and bi-monthly newsletter, may purchase fur trimmed items unintentionally because not all clothing with fur is Activate For Animals, provide comprehensive required to contain a label identifying whether the fur is real or faux. (Please see up-to-date information on the scientific and page 10.) ethical dimensions of animal experiments and alternatives. Both publications encourage AAVS Next, purchasing personal and household products that are not tested on animals, members and supporters to become actively involved in our campaigns. Outreach staff also such as cosmetics, shampoos, and laundry detergents, is an important step towards travel to speaking engagements and confer- eliminating unnecessary product testing on animals. Due to the docile nature of ences and place advertisements in national rabbits and their sensitive eyes, product testing is frequently conducted on these gentle publications to spread the AAVS message across the country. creatures. To help consumers purchase products that are truly cruelty-free and to encourage companies to use nonanimal alternatives, AAVS is assuming responsibility The Alternatives Research & Development for the management and development of the Coalition for Consumer Information on Foundation (ARDF), an affiliate of AAVS, awards grants to scientists and educators Cosmetics. (Request your free Compassionate Shopping Guide today!) working to develop non-animal methods of investigation. ARDF’s unique program As for rabbits used in research, AAVS is challenging the patenting of a rabbit. The provides the necessary resources for the devel- challenged patent is for a rabbit whose eyes have been purposefully damaged to mimic a opment of alternatives to the use of animals, condition in humans known as dry eye. If this patent is granted, the patent owner can and it advocates the use of alternatives through the internet and by participating license the rabbit model to drug researchers to test the effectiveness of medications for in conferences and seminars. Through these treating dry eye. AAVS is contesting the legality of this patent by arguing that animals endeavors, ARDF works to promote scientific are not patentable subject matter and the techniques claimed in this patent are not solutions for today with humane visions for the future.
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