WAR Commentary on Recent Press Release
Regarding
Painful Experiments Increasing at HLS (at bottom of this page)
HLS Protests: Sunday, September 13, 2009
Earlier today, Win Animal Rights (WAR) released the text of a press release
published on September 8, 2009, by watchdog group SAEN. The press release
was about USDA inspection reports for the years 2006, 2007 and 2008 for the
Huntingdon Life Sciences East Millstone, New Jersey laboratory. The release
was entitled: "Pain for Dogs Doubles at Huntingdon Life Sciences; Overall
HLS Experimentation Drops". You can read the full text of the press release
and access the USDA reports here:
http://war-online.org/PressRelease-SAEN.htm
A careful analysis of the
documentation reveals good news and bad news. Although the number of animals
used has declined 34% in one year, from 2007 to 2008, the number of painful
experiments on dogs has increased. The press release states:
"In 2008,
77 dogs were force-fed toxic substances whose side effects caused
substantial pain, without receiving anesthesia. At least 5 of these dogs
were so injured by the toxic substances that they had to be killed. In 2007,
only 30 dogs were used in experiments involving unrelieved pain."
The
decrease in the number of animals used is a clear indication that the global
campaign to stop the killing at Huntingdon Life Sciences is definitely
having an impact. These numbers reflect on business at HLS at a time before
the economic downturn and this is coupled with HLS' loss of two key pieces
of business announced in 2009. A study of HLS' major competitors reveals
that their finances are depressed but recovering. Only HLS sales continue to
slide further and further pushing them down into a financial abyss. From the
press release:
Clearly the campaign by animal activists is having a
major impact, said Michael A. Budkie, A.H.T., executive director, SAEN.
Anytime you see a 1/3 drop in business in one year something is very
wrong.
The LSR share price, one year ago, was at an all time high of
$39.30. This dropped to a low of $4.12 in March, 2009. It was this that led
the Board of Directors to approve Andrew Baker's offer to take LSR (ticker
symbol for HLS) off of the New York Stock Exchange and to purchase all
outstanding shares, effectively taking the company out of the public domain.
Even today with a potential buy out price of $8.50 per share, LSR stock is
trading below $8.00 with an extremely low volume of shares traded.
What effect will all of this have? Well, for one thing, HLS will no longer
have independent shareholders, who are entitled to access to the company's
financial position. Nor will HLS be required to file SEC reports. Financial
transparency, which is fairly opaque now, will make it even more difficult
to ascertain their financial standing after they go private. This is why
government inspection reports, which determine compliance with current (and
painfully inadequate) animal welfare laws and regulations, are very
important. These may provide us our only glimpse behind the razor wire
fences and locked doors of their laboratory.
Huntingdon Life Sciences
is at the brink of financial failure. The animals held captive there,
continue to suffer and die. Think of the beagles puppies subjected to
painful procedures without even the small comfort of pain killers. Many of
them are just babies. Think of the 12,800 animals that were killed to test
sugar substitute "Splenda". Pregnant rabbits, infant monkeys and beagle
puppies were killed for a lousy product like Splenda.
Now is the
time to concentrate and focus our attention and action on finishing what the
global SHAC campaign started. WAR will be ramping up activity against
Huntingdon Life Sciences, their employees, their customers, their
financiers, their suppliers and anyone else who gives them aid or support.
We will name them and shame them where they work, where they live, where
they worship and where they spend their leisure time. WAR is coming.
WE WILL NEVER BACK DOWN, UNTIL THEY STOP THE KILLING!
Please join us for an afternoon of effective action for animals:
What: HLS Protests
When: Sunday, September 13, 2009 @ 2:00 pm
Where:
400 E. 51st St. (at 1st Avenue)
Be part of history.
Help stop the
torture and killing at Huntingdon Life Sciences.
Coming events:
Mark your calendars now!
HLS Protests will be held weekly and during
some time periods daily!
September 14 - 20: Max Mara Anti-Fur Week of
Action
September 24 - 27: Escada Anti-Fur Week of Action
October 2nd:
World Farm Animal Day in New York City
October 17 -24, 2009: National
Primate Liberation Week
Press Release by Watchdog Group SAEN
"Pain for Dogs Doubles at Huntingdon
Life Sciences;
Overall HLS Experimentation Drops"
Tuesday,
September 8, 2009
Contact: Michael Budkie, SAEN, 513-575-5517;
513-703-9865 (cell)
Pain for Dogs Doubles at Huntingdon Life
Sciences; Overall HLS Experimentation Drops
Somerset, NJ Recently
obtained federal reports reveal that Huntingdon Life Sciences use of dogs in
painful experiments without anesthesia has more than doubled, even though
their overall experimental business has dropped.
In 2008, 77 dogs
were force-fed toxic substances whose side effects caused substantial pain,
without receiving anesthesia. At least 5 of these dogs were so injured by
the toxic substances that they had to be killed. In 2007, only 30 dogs were
used in experiments involving unrelieved pain.
The concept that
dogs, no different than those who share 43,000,000 American homes, are
literally poisoned inside the labs of this facility is totally shocking,
added Budkie. This is not science; this is nothing short of animal abuse.
However, these same reports reveal that animal activists campaign
against the Huntingdon Life Sciences (HLS) Corporation has been effective.
Government reports filed by the company disclose a one-year drop of 34% in
animal use at the New Jersey laboratory.
2007 animal use reported to
the USDA by HLS was 2143 regulated animals (not including rats, mice etc.).
2008 animal use plummeted to 1415, a drop of more than 1/3.
Clearly
the campaign by animal activists is having a major impact, said Michael A.
Budkie, A.H.T., executive director, SAEN. Anytime you see a 1/3 drop in
business in one year something is very wrong.
The USDA reports are
available upon request from SAEN.
Note from WAR: Our sincere
appreciation to Michael Budkie and SAEN for obtaining and posting this
information. For your convenience, we have obtained copies of the USDA
reports from SAEN and have posted links to each of the three reports below.
Just click on the links. If you have a problem accessing the reports from
the links below, drop us an e-mail and we will send them to you as
attachments.
http://war-online.org/2006HLS22-R-0040.pdf
http://war-online.org/2007HLS22-R-0040.pdf
http://war-online.org/2008HLS22-R-0040.pdf
WAR will be issuing a
statement regarding the press release, along with details about our next
scheduled protests, within 24 hours.
Coming events: Mark your
calendars now!
September 13, 2009 @ 2:00 pm - HLS Protests in Midtown
Manhattan
September 14 - 20: Max Mara Anti-Fur Week of Action
September 24 - 27: Escada Anti-Fur Week of Action
