Giant ‘Rabbit’ to Protest Animal Experimenters’ Gathering

PETA Will Decry Charles River Laboratories for Peddling Misery and Death, Poisoning Dogs, Rats, Rabbits, Mice, and Monkeys

For Immediate Release:
September 27, 2017

Contact:
Tasgola Bruner 202-483-7382

What:    A giant mutilated “rabbit” will lead a group of black-clad PETA supporters in a protest outside the inaugural Charles River World Congress on Animal Models in Drug Discovery & Development in Boston on Tuesday. Armed with signs proclaiming, “Charles River Poisons Animals” and “Close Down Animal Laboratories,” the protesters will call on experimenters to switch to modern, non-animal research methods.

When:    Tuesday, September 26, 12 noon

Where:    Sheraton Boston Hotel, 39 Dalton St. (near Belvidere Street) Boston

“Charles River is in the dirty business of breeding and selling millions of animals—from mice to monkeys—for use in cruel and deadly experiments in laboratories around the world, and appears to be using this conference to peddle its services,” says PETA Chief of Laboratory Case Management Dr. Alka Chandna. “PETA is calling on scientists at the conference to get out of the Dark Ages, admit animal studies don’t work, and commit to using in vitro testing, human organs-on-chips, and other modern research methods.”

PETA notes that Charles River Laboratories is the world’s largest breeder of animals for use in experiments, supplying one of every two animals tormented in laboratories each year. The company intentionally poisons animals by force-feeding them test compounds, smears caustic experimental chemicals onto their bare skin, and forces them to inhale toxic substances in painful and deadly experiments. The company’s history of animal-welfare violations includes failure to provide animals with veterinary care, failure to provide pain relief to suffering animals, and shoddy surgical methods. At its Nevada facility, 32 monkeys were baked alive when a thermostat malfunctioned and no one noticed. A monkey was also scalded to death when her cage was run through a high-temperature cage washer—while she was still locked inside.

For more information, please visit PETA.org.