Cats and dogs released in Mayo enjoy first taste of freedom
The first 10 dogs and 12 cats have been released from a laboratory in Ireland that closed down in July. After a lifetime in the confines of a laboratory, we are delighted these animals will now finally be able to find their forever homes.
Dogs and cats have been bred at the Charles River Laboratories Irish facility for the cruel testing of veterinary products since 2002. Earlier this year, Cruelty Free International wrote to them urging the company to release the animals and offering help. We called for the dogs and cats to be found homes and given a chance of freedom rather than being killed as they became ‘surplus to requirements’.
The company subsequently announced it will release almost 300 cats and over 350 dogs from its Glenamoy laboratory in Mayo over the coming weeks and months.
Micelle Thew, CEO of Cruelty Free International, said: “These cats and dogs have never before set a paw outside the confines of the medical research laboratory where they were born and raised in concrete kennels for cruel pharmaceutical tests. We are delighted they will now have the opportunity to live freely in safe, loving homes and experience sunshine and fresh air. We urge other laboratories to do the right thing and find loving homes for animals who have only ever known life in a laboratory.”
226,393 animals were used in tests in Irish laboratories in 2015, including dogs, cats, horses, guinea pigs, birds, goats, sheep, cows, mice, rats and fish.