Animal testing continues to raise hackles in some quarters

Animal testing is necessary says the Health Products Regulatory Authority, but not so claim certain animal welfare campaigners, who point to the rehoming of rabbits by one university as a welcome first step and want greater transparency

Gemma Lanigan, who runs Rabbit Rescue Ireland, in her kitchen with Alice the rabbit who has a laboratory serial number tatooed on her ear. Picture: Moya Nolan

Rabbits which were bred for testing in labs in the University of Galway have been rehomed for the first time, instead of being put to sleep, in a move welcomed by campaigners.

Figures released to the Irish Examiner show 42 rabbits were used for scientific research by the university since 2020, a small proportion of the total animals used for testing in Irish labs across the country.

Figures from the Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA) show a total of 121,558 animals were used in procedures for research and testing purposes across Ireland in 2021.

Those figures include:

• 91,497 mice;
• 17,050 rats;
• 4,986 salmon, trout, chars, and graylings;
• 2,806 sheep;
• 2,108 cattle.

In addition, 727 pigs, 657 rabbits, 83 dogs, 31 goats, and nine horses, donkeys, and crossbreeds were used.

However, in a new development, three New Zealand white rabbits which were bought by the University of Galway for laboratory testing, were surrendered this year, to a local charity.

A spokesperson for the college told the Irish Examiner: “This was the first and only time that the university has taken up the option of rehoming rabbits, as provided for in the legislation.

“The rabbits were not used in any research prior to being rehomed.

“Particular care was taken with them before rehoming arrangements were approved, including an insistence by the university that they would be indoors and examined by a private vet, as they become used to an environment for household pets”.

One of the surrendered rabbits, was received into the care of Rabbit Rescue Ireland and named Alice.

Gemma Lanigan, who runs the self-funded organisation, said: “Alice was one of three rabbits surrendered. 

“One of the three that surrendered passed away unfortunately, she just couldn’t survive in a domestic environment, because she came from such a sterile environment, the other one was happily adopted out and the last one was Alice.”

Alice the rabbit who has a laboratory serial number tatooed on her ear. Picture: Moya Nolan

While Alice was not used in laboratory testing, she was bred specially for scientific research.

Each year, laboratories all over Ireland purchase animals from approved breeders in the EU, for testing.

The HPRA’s 2021 report states animal testing is necessary “to protect human and animal health and the environment”.

The report continues: “Where biological processes are not sufficiently understood or are very complex, non-animal research or test methods are often not available.

“After generating as much information as possible using non-animal alternatives, animal studies can be necessary to fill knowledge gaps.

However, Ms Lanigan disagrees. 

“We don’t need to test on animals. There are so many proven methods to test, and you don’t need a live test subject. It is a historic practice and so many animals get tested and then killed.

“Alice was with a breeder, from a sterile environment that are born for testing and then killed. 

“We got Alice a few months ago, she had a lot of post-traumatic stress disorder; she would want head rubs and then lash out all of a sudden and run away and cower in the corner," said Ms Lanigan.

“You could see she was very torn; she was a sweet rabbit who just wanted love.

“She has a 007 print on her ear, which is a reminder that she was bred to be tested on”.

Alice who required specialist one to one care, has since been rehomed with one of Ms Lanigan’s volunteers.

Call for ban

Animal testing has long been an issue for several animal rights groups who have been campaigning for the procedure to be banned.

Irish Anti-Vivisection Society policy consultant 

Dr Dan Lyons said he “applauds” University of Galway for surrendering the three rabbits.

“It’s certainly not being done enough, and the legislation allows for that,” he said. 

“We have done work on trying to have more animals used in labs rehomed.

“We are really pleased to see Galway university managed to surrender three rabbits; it shows it can be done.

Gemma Lanigan in her kitchen with Alice the rabbit. Picture: Moya Nolan

“It is such a confidential environment that it is hard to get full transparency in the area. Often the vast majority of the animals are put to sleep after testing unless the test is very mild.

"Sometimes they reuse the animals for testing, so a number of tests is done on one cat or dog as opposed to four.

“In the vast majority they die or more often they can be put to sleep so their tissue can be used.

They do suffer a lot in testing, because it’s graded as mild, moderate to severe  — and if it wasn’t painful for the animal, why would you need a licence for testing?

In 2021, a number of MEPs requested an EU-wide action plan for phasing out the use of animal testing.

Mr Lyons said: “It’s a glacial pace really, the action plan was quite vague and aspirational but not much in the way of concrete.

“The way the laws are set up and bioscience works it is very hard to get a lot of clear details from the colleges and labs about the testing.

“Ireland is the biggest producers of botox in Europe, that paralyses the muscles. 

"Labs say they don’t do it [testing]for cosmetic purposes, but we want transparency on testing for Botox, and want to know what exactly the Botox is being used for.

“We have questions around this whole area that we can’t get clear answers for”.

On January 1, 2013, an EU Directive to protect animals used for scientific purposes came into effect in Ireland and the HPRA became the authority responsible for its implementation.

In a statement, the HRPA confirmed to the Irish Examiner it received four applications for botulinum testing during 2022 and 2023 to date and there were “no applications for a study involving the use of rabbits for Botox testing in Ireland”.

It continued: “The HPRA Statistical report for 2021 shows that, in 2021, 70,896 animals were used for batch potency testing, which represents a 29% reduction from the number of animals used for batch potency testing in 2020.

“Batch safety and potency testing accounted for 99.88% of the total regulatory use in 2021.

Gemma Lanigan in her kitchen with Alice the rabbit. Picture: Moya Nolan

“Directive 2010/63/EU requires that animals can only be used where a non-animal alternative is unavailable. The HPRA ensures that this requirement is strictly followed.

“In addition to botulinum toxin products, batch potency testing is also a requirement for the release onto the market of other types of medicinal products such as certain vaccines.

“The HPRA does not have specific information on the proportion of batch potency tests conducted in 2021 that were used for botulinum toxin products”.

The HPRA said it is currently finalising the statistical report for 2022 and it is expected this report will be available before the end of 2023 and “include detailed information on the uses of animals in procedures in Ireland during 2022”.

Meanwhile, Laura Broxson from the National Animal Rights Association said she is working on a new bill with Solidarity People Before Profit TD Paul Murphy and wants to see a complete ban on animal testing for botox in particular.

She told the Irish Examiner she hopes the bill will be introduced to the Dáil before Christmas.

“The figures show 50% of the animals that die under animal testing is for botox batch testing” she said.

“We are starting a joint campaign with other groups on trying to ban this testing as it would eliminate a lot of the experiments.

“If the animals don’t survive the testing they are put to sleep. It is very rare they are released.

“The rabbits in Galway being released is very rare, but it wasn’t to give them back to nature, it was because they were not tested on.

“We believe a lot of the animals could recover from testing, remember animals are tested on before humans, it’s not like they are tested on and there’s no trials on adults after that.

“We have been campaigning for full transparency from the labs in Ireland who are testing. 

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"If they believe what they do is necessary and that is all done humanely, then let us in to see what they are doing. Put up CCTV and a live feed and let us watch”.

In a further statement, the University of Galway said it “conducts research under the strictest animal welfare and ethical standards”.

It said: “All of this research is for scientific purposes, is authorised by the Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA), is ethically approved by the university, and as required by law, is overseen by animal welfare specialists including a qualified veterinarian and highly trained animal care staff. 

"The university reports on research of this nature to the competent authority, the HPRA.

"Research with animals is undertaken only when the researchers clearly demonstrate that all non-animal alternatives have been exhausted.

“University of Galway does not carry out research on animals for cosmetic testing and it does not and has not used botox in in-vivo research."

Abbvie, which manufactures botox worldwide and has a plant in Ireland, did not respond to a number of queries from the Irish Examiner.