National Antivisection Society
History
The NAVS has led the world in the concept of undercover investigations to expose the suffering of animals in laboratories, right from our first investigation in 1902. We did not return to the strategy again until 1984 with the first of the modern-day investigations in the UK.
Our investigations of research in laboratories in the UK have focused upon a series of key issues and, for the first time, uncovered the full extent of the waste of life, resources, and suffering involved in the habitual overbreeding of animals which are destined to be surplus to requirements:-
We have featured:-
1. The extent of overbreeding and killing of unwanted animals.
2. Laboratory animal housing issues; primate issues, Codes of Practice.
3. The use of wild-caught animals and attendant issues.
4. Weaknesses of controls; ignoring of codes of practice; impotence of Home Office and Inspectorate.
5. Futile attempts to replicate human conditions in animals
6. Animals used when a non-animal method is available.
7. Repetition of animal experiments / animals used when outcome is known.
8. Animals used when there are other sources of the information.
The investigation timeline:
- 1902 – Two Swedish ladies attended University College London and documented repeated experiments on a small brown terrier dog. Their findings were published by the NAVS in a book entitled ‘Shambles of Science’. The Hon. Secretary of the NAVS at the time, the Hon. Stephen Coleridge, a barrister, spotted two infringements of the 1876 Act; there was not the time to commence proceedings for a prosecution (due to the 6-month time limit), but it remained open for anyone to make an accusation. In May 1903 Stephen Coleridge read a statement regarding the matter in St James’ Hall, London, which resulted in a famous libel trial that brought the matter to public attention. A memorial to the little brown dog was erected in 1906, funded by public subscription. Between 1906 and 1910, the Little Brown Dog statue became the scene of riots with medical students from UCL (where the experiments had taken place) trying to wreck the statue, and members of the public trying to protect it. Miss Power Cobbe, by then an elderly lady, was attacked by medical students in her office. The statue was removed in 1910. It was re-erected by the NAVS in 1985.
- 1984 - Toxicol Laboratories, Herefordshire. The first modern-day investigation in the UK
- 1990 - SmithKline Beecham laboratories, Essex
- 1991 - St Bartholomew’s Hospital, London
- 1992 - St. Mary’s Hospital Medical School, London
- 1993 - NAVS 2nd undercover investigation of Toxicol Laboratories, Herefordshire
- 1994 - Charing Cross and Westminster Medical School, London. Temporary suspension of certificate
- 1995 - Institute of Neurology, London; results in temporary suspension of experiments on cats
- 1999 - Oxford University
- 2005 - Documents leaked from Inveresk Research near Edinburgh
The NAVS was the first organisation to ever undertake an undercover investigation of an animal laboratory - as long ago as 1902. In 1984, we revived the tactic with an investigation of Toxicol Laboratories, Herefordshire, UK, and since then the investigative work of the NAVS and our sister group, the Animal Defenders, has become the standard by which undercover investigations are judged. Many organisations have followed this important lead, indeed, our Special Investigations Department has been called on to brief and instruct campaigners throughout the world.
Evidence collected by the NAVS inside British laboratories, for example, provides the widest and most accurate picture available of life and death for lab animals.
We were the first organisation to expose contract testing on animals; to film primates in brain research; to expose the overbreeding of animals; and the only organisation whose investigative work has led to a laboratory licence to experiment being revoked.
Our video, ‘Unlock the Labs’, contains footage from these investigations. To order a copy, please email info@ad-international.org. Everything featured in this video and outlined here was licensed and inspected by the Home Office, and yet even your Member of Parliament would not have known about it, but for the NAVS.
Establishments investigated include:
SmithKline Beecham, Essex; St Bartholomew’s Hospital Medical School, London; St Mary’s Hospital Medical School, London; Toxicol (now Quintiles) Laboratories, Herefordshire; Charing Cross & Westminster Medical School, London; The Institute of Neurology, London, Oxford University; and lab breeders Harlan and Hylyne (the latter is now closed).
Our investigations show day to day life in UK laboratories:
the casual killing of unwanted animals - our investigations produced the first hard evidence of massive killing of unwanted animals; the miserable confinement and poor husbandry; labs routinely ignoring Government codes of practice; the brutal and unnecessary experiments.
The NAVS takes you inside the UK’s secret laboratories
The NAVS Special Investigations Department penetrates the secret world of animal research, with elaborate and extensive undercover investigations. Our photographs and video have shown people what really goes on behind the laboratory doors.
Macaque monkeys in small barren cages; a monkey with metal bolts and plates permanently implanted in her head; cats used in migraine experiments; rats used in drug experiments.
As a result of the NAVS investigation, the licence for this laboratory was suspended, and all staff re-trained in humane killing procedures. We had uncovered sloppy killing procedures and huge quantities of animals slaughtered simply because they were surplus to requirements. The laboratory’s own killing statistics, combined with those we had exposed in other laboratories revealed for the first time, had evidence of massive overbreeding of laboratory animals. This lab conducted experiments on cats, dogs, guinea pigs, mice, sheep and pigs, including deliberately inducing heart failure in dogs.
- John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford University
Laboratory technicians laughing as they smash live mice against bench tops to kill them; rabbit’s legs fractured and stretched; heart experiments on sheep.
Tamarin monkeys injected with excrement in hepatitis experiments and kept in cages breaking government guidelines. Rats with electrodes permanently bolted into their heads.
Beagle puppies being used in tests for commercial companies, including being fed a weedkiller which had already been tested, and had been on the market for years.
Shocking arthritis and multiple sclerosis experiments on animals, funded by top charities.
Experiments on rats and beagle dogs
In an elaborate sting, six beagle puppies were saved by the NAVS from being sold for experiments by this international lab dealer; film was taken of the breeding areas.
Internal company documents leaked to NAVS give shocking evidence of abuse, with photos and detailed experiment reports.
