The New South Wales government has announced a $7 million investment towards ending the use of animals in medical experimentation. The move follows an Upper House Inquiry that exposed the shocking realities of animal testing in the state.
The Animal Justice Party, a political party that advocates for animal rights, led the Inquiry, which revealed that animals were subjected to cruel procedures without anaesthesia, had tails and toes cut off, and were overbred for experimentation purposes, leading to mass killings.
In response to the findings, the NSW government has allocated $4.5 million towards finding alternatives to animal testing. The funding also includes $2.5 million towards the rehoming of animals currently used in medical research.
Last year, the Animal Justice Party introduced and passed the Animal Research Amendment (Right to Release) Bill 2022, which mandates the rehoming of dogs and cats in medical experimentation. ANimal Justice Party MLC, Emma Hurst, said the funding would ultimately help see “the replacement of animals forever in this industry.”
“With the new funding, rescue groups can now take in these animals and find them loving homes away from the experimentation labs,” Ms Hurst said.
The funding will make NSW the first state in Australia to invest in finding alternatives to animal testing. The Animal Justice Party has been advocating for this move, stating that there was no funding available in Australia to find alternatives to animal testing. The investment is expected to bring significant change to the medical research industry and ensure the replacement of animals in testing forever.
The Parliamentary Inquiry that led to the funding allocation followed the escape of three baboons from a medical research facility at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in February 2020. That escape shed light on the conditions in the medical research industry and sparked the Animal Justice Party’s push for change.
Ms Hurst said that the baboons’ escape “opened the doors on what is really happening in an industry that uses animals for experimental purposes.”
The announcement has been met with support from both animal advocates and researchers who have long called for alternatives to animal testing. The move towards finding alternatives is in line with global efforts to reduce the use of animals in research. Scientists are increasingly turning to alternative methods, such as computer simulations and organ-on-chip technology, to study diseases and test drugs.”
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