Comedian and actor Ricky Gervais, has posed with his pet cat, Ollie, in support of Our Best Friends, a BUAV campaign calling on the UK Government to end the use of dogs and cats in experiments.
Credit/Copyright: BUAV
Ricky said: “Cats share our homes, they are loving, loyal and playful and they deserve a safe and happy life, not one of suffering. That’s why I am supporting the Our Best Friends campaign, taking action to bring a stop to the suffering of cats and dogs in UK laboratories. Take a look at ourbestfriends.org and sign the petition today at ourbestfriends.org/petition.”
Home Office statistics report that 3,214 dogs and 202 cats were used in experiments in Great Britain in 2012. This represents a 6% increase for dogs and a 32% increase for cats on the previous year.
Ricky has previously supported the BUAV in its efforts to end the suffering of cats and dogs in UK research; including a campaign to end controversial research at Cardiff University, in which kittens’ eyes were sewn closed and a campaign to stop a planning proposal to build a facility in Yorkshire to breed and supply dogs for research. Although this proposal was finally rejected by the Secretary of State, a subsequent application has just been submitted and is being contested once more by the BUAV.
The BUAV Chief Executive, Michelle Thew, said: “In the UK, dogs and cats are our most popular companion animals, yet they continue to be harmed in cruel experiments and there is no Government policy to reduce their use, let alone bring it to an end. We thank Ricky for his support and urge the public to join us to make their voices heard, by writing to their MPs to sign EDM 514 and by signing our petition today at ourbestfriends.org/petition.”
