NAVS Calls On AstraZeneca To Free The Beagles As Hundreds Are Detained At Manchester Airport

The National Anti-Vivisection Society (NAVS) has issued an urgent plea to pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca to free as many as 350 beagles that are currently detained at Manchester airport, where they are waiting to be sent to the company’s laboratories, to be used as research subjects. NAVS Chief Executive Jan Creamer: “We call on the senior management of AstraZeneca to do the right thing – for medical research and common decency – and release these beagles for rehoming immediately. The use of these docile and loving animals cannot be justified. Free the beagles now!” The NAVS reported on Wednesday how two consignments of beagles had left AstraZeneca kennels in Sweden for the UK and since then the organisation has been informed by colleagues at the Swedish group Djurrattsalliansen that over the past two nights further consignments of beagles have been flown to the UK. Apparently a total of 290 dogs were shipped out of Sweden since Tuesday, with the remaining 50-60 animals leaving the kennels last night. All of the beagles have come from AstraZeneca kennels earmarked for closure in Orkelljungain, Sweden and unless the pharmaceutical giant has a change of heart these gentle animals will be subjected to cruel and painful experiments. Despite physiological differences between dogs and people, the beagles will be used, according to AstraZeneca’s online Q&A “Primarily, in research related to the cardiovascular area (e.g. atherosclerosis and diabetes), respiratory diseases (e.g. asthma and COPD), plus inflammatory diseases (e.g. rheumatism).” Since news of the kennel’s closure was announced, animal advocates worldwide have been campaigning for the beagles release for rehoming. Last month, a joint letter signed by 20 organisations and representing hundreds of thousands of supporters was sent to the senior management of AstraZeneca. The NAVS has yet to receive a response.

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