This document discusses different types of activism campaigns aimed at ending animal experimentation. It outlines militant direct activism tactics like protests, raids, and property destruction, but notes these can lose public support. More effective approaches include scientific activism by publishing research on animal models' poor predictability, student campaigns for humane teaching methods, and public activism through education and generating awareness. The key to ending animal experimentation is changing public, scientific, and government belief in its necessity through awareness of alternatives and the ethical case against it.

1. Animal Experimentation Campaigns
ANDREW KNIGHTANDREW KNIGHT
DipECAWBM (AWSEL), DACAW,DipECAWBM (AWSEL), DACAW,
PhD, MANZCVS, MRCVS, SFHEAPhD, MANZCVS, MRCVS, SFHEA

2. Overview
 Militant and direct activism
 Requirements for ending animal experimentation
 Scientific activism
 Student activism
 Public activism
 Conclusion

3. Militant & direct activism
Tactics
 Protests, sometimes persistent and protracted
 Home demonstrations and staff harassment
 Laboratory raids and animal rescues
 Property destruction: vandalism, arson, (sinking whaling ships !)
 Threatening behaviour, e.g. pipe bombs (!?!)
Benefits
 Animals rescued
 Video/camera footage gained
 Laboratories and breeding facilities closed due to staff harassment
and economic damage

4. Costs
 Loss of media support
 Loss of public goodwill
 ‘Terrorist’ characterisation by the biomedical research industry
 Hardening of governmental positions in support of animal
experimentation
 Repression of activists

5. “Firebombs detonated on a porch and in a home belonging to
University of California at Santa Cruz researchers in the early
morning of August 2, 2008 are believed to have given a big late-in-
session boost to… a bill which would allow universities to withhold
the names of animal researchers from public documents.
…
[This bill] is in some respects a state version of the federal Animal
Enterprise Terrorism Act…”
- Clifton M. Animal People, 2008

6. “Such actions put people in danger, and do nothing to help animals,
or further our cause; indeed, they are counter-productive, …”
“The Santa Cruz firebombings, like several others in the past
several years, imminently preceded the sentencing of a prominent
direct action advocate. Tre Arrow, 34,…, on August 12, 2008 drew
78 months in federal prison and a restitution order for a series of
arsons committed in the name of the Earth Liberation Front…”
“[The bill] would restrict access to information about animal
research at both public institutions and private companies receiving
public funding.”
- Eric Mills, Founder, Action for Animals
- Dr Elliot Katz, Founder, In Defense of Animals

7. Animal experimentation will
continue, as long as:
A majority of (i) the government (ii) scientists and (iii) the
public believe it is necessary to protect and advance
human health, (and (iv), a sizeable industry is
economically reliant on it).
Mechanisms
 Direct government intervention
 Translocation to countries where animal protection is minimal

8. Requirements for ending animal
experimentation
 Awareness by governments, ethics committee members, scientists
and the public of the poor human clinical and toxicological
predictivity and utility of animal models
 Awareness of the poor cost/benefit ratio of animal experimentation
cf. other mechanisms for protecting and advancing human health
 Awareness of the ethical case against animal experimentation (?)
 Resultant public support for restrictions/bans on animal
experimentation
 Resultant legislative restrictions/bans on animal experimentation
 Finally… outreach to other countries

9. Some different types of activism
 Scientific activism
 Student activism
 Public activism

10. Scientific activism
 Studies: publication in scientific journals
 Studies: presentations at scientific conferences
E.g. systematic reviews demonstrating the poor human clinical or
toxicological utility of animal experiments (around 93%
demonstrate poor utility)
 Outreaching summaries
Scientific and popular media
Popular conferences & presentations
Legislators
Ethics committees
 Maximising impact requires the active participation of the
animal protection movement

14. Student activism: campaigns for
humane teaching methods
 Importance
 directly saves animal lives
 allows compassionate students to graduate
 increases pool of scientists knowledgeable about and
sympathetic towards alternatives
 winnable!
 Many student successes internationally
 Secrets of student success: high motivation and
campaigns based on student, rather than animal, rights

15. Inspiring student campaigns
 Provide students withProvide students with information about humaneabout humane
alternativesalternatives
 Inspire them to conscientiously objectthem to conscientiously object
 Guide them in theGuide them in the steps needed to maximize theirneeded to maximize their
chances of successchances of success
 Provide them with theProvide them with the resources they need to win!they need to win!
 OutreachOutreach: biomedical student noticeboards, student: biomedical student noticeboards, student
magazines, animal protection newsletters, websites,magazines, animal protection newsletters, websites,
presentations, essay competitions.presentations, essay competitions.

16. Key resourcesKey resources
Knight. ALTEX Proc 2012.

19. www.InterNICHE.org

20. www.apehperu.com

21. Public activism
Goals: educating legislators, scientists, the media, and
the public about the scientific and ethical case against
animal experimentation
 Forwarding existing scientific studies or abstracts/shorter articles
 Publishing own letters/articles
 Speaking or arranging speaking opportunities/debates for experts
 Seeking media attention through tactics designed to generate both
awareness and support:
 Laboratory raids/undercover investigations to rescue animals
and gain footage of laboratory conditions
 Graphic stunts: occupations, sit-ins, die-ins, pie-throwing, etc!

22. Conclusion
There is a great deal of intelligent, strategic activism
which is not undertaken by the animal protection
movement, although it is well within our ability. Such
activism would significantly speed up the abolition of
animal experimentation, which will otherwise take a very
long time.

24. Evidence-based websites
www.AnimalExperiments.info: Peer-reviewed studies of human
predictivity/utility, governmental reports, reviews of alternative strategies.
www.HumaneLearning.info: Over over 400 published studies of harmful
animal use and humane alternatives, in various educational disciplines.
www.eurca.org: The European Resource Centre for Alternatives in Higher
Education Database: over 70 high quality educational alternatives, most
with commissioned reviews by professional educators.
www.InterNICHE.org: The InterNICHE Studies Database provides
references, abstracts and other details for over 750 published studies
describing humane teaching methods, searchable by discipline, author
and keyword.