World Day for Animals in Laboratories

Held on : 24th April

World Day for Animals in Laboratories highlights the suffering and killing of millions of innocent sentient beings in laboratories throughout the world. Many millions of animals worldwide who are tormented and killed in experiments each year. It is a time to reflect upon the pain and suffering caused to millions of animals all in the name of a fraudulent scientific practice - a practice that is not only is so cruel to the animals so horribly abused and killed by vivisectors but a practice that so cruelly gives false hope to those with illness and disease. It is also a day when the latest developments in the world of research without animals is advocated and popularised.

History - The act of operating on living animals (especially in scientific research) is known as Vivisection. The National Anti-Vivisection Society (NAVS) is the world’s first organisation campaigning against animal experiments having been founded in 1875 by Miss Frances Power Cobbe, a great humanitarian who published many leaflets and articles opposing animal experiments, and gathered many notable people of the day to support our cause. The Society was formed on 2 December 1875 in Victoria Street, London, under the name of the Victoria Street Society. In 1979, the NAVS established World Day for Laboratory Animals on April 24th - Lord Dowding’s birthday. Lord Dowding was British politician and the commander in-chief of the Royal Air Force during the Battle of Britain. He was a vegetarian and a long-time anti-vivisectionist. The Lord Dowding Fund for Humane Research (LDF) is a department of the National Anti-Vivisection Society, the world’s first anti-vivisection organisation. LDF awards grants to scientists undertaking medical research which benefits humans, without the use of animals. This international day of commemoration is recognised by the United Nations, and is now marked annually by anti-vivisectionists on every continent.

Events

• Each year during Lab Animal Week, NAVS Street Team proudly don red sashes and take to the streets, holding a can on behalf of laboratory animals everywhere. These activities make a huge difference by raising much needed funds and increasing public awareness about our work.

• There is a national March and Rally in London to commemorate and highlight the immense suffering endured by lab animals all over the world – suffering which is not only unethical, but is also unnecessary and unscientific.

• The NAVS produces leaflets for the event which reveal malpractices in animal testing laboratory.

• It also runs an Awareness Stall and organises Fund raising Events.

• The NAVS website - http://www.navs.org.uk/take_action/ encourages people to join the annual March and Rally. It also encourages people to take action against such cruelty.

Alternate Names - Lab Animal Day, Lab Animal week, World Week for Laboratory Animals, International Day of Commemoration for Animals in Laboratories.

Holiday Status - It is not a Holiday.