Petition against beagle breeding centre signed by 40,000
More than 40,000 people have signed a petition against proposals to build a new breeding centre in Grimston for beagles and other animals intended for use in scientific experiments.
Brought by the Anti Vivisection Coalition, the petition closed on 40,650 signatures and has been submitted to the East Riding of Yorkshire Council.
The petition urges the council to refuse planning permission for B & K Universal's application to extend their laboratory beagle breeding facility with a new centre in Grimston, Yorkshire.
As well as animal welfare concerns, the coalition has cited issues such as disruptions caused by construction, which it is thought would take 10 months, impacts upon tourism and strain on resources.
According to the National Anti-Vivisection Society (NAVS), similar plans last year to breed beagles on the same site were stopped following a public outcry in the UK. Jan Creamer, the society's chief executive said: "This unpopular and unwanted facility will be responsible for breeding thousands of beagle dogs for a life in the laboratory, where they will be subjected to painful tests.
"It not only goes against good scientific practice, but runs counter to moves towards non-animal methods. We can only hope that common sense will prevail and that these plans will be overturned once again."
Discussing concerns about animal welfare, the society has cited a consultation by the European Commission, which found that nearly 83 per cent of respondents considered experiments on dogs to be unacceptable.
Celebrities including Mark Radcliffe and Peter Egan have joined the campaign by signing the petition, which can be viewed here.
Defra has published guidance for the vet sector ahead of a proposed UK-EU Sanitary and Phytosanitary agreement.
