National Anti-Vivisection Alliance

The National Anti-Vivisection Alliance (NAVA) is a British animal protection and abolitionist organisation that campaigns to bring an end to research using animals.

Motto"The UK's leading organisation standing up for science and animals"
FoundedJune 2010
FocusAnimal testing, vivisection
Location
MethodEducation, political lobbying, investigation and petitioning
Key people
Luke Steele (Chairman)
Websitehttp://www.antivivisection.info/

Founded in 2010, NAVA engages in education, protest, political lobbying and investigations in order to bring about its aim to abolish vivisection and other forms of animal research.

The website has been inactive since June 2012 after its chairman, Luke Steele, was sentenced to 18 months in prison for intimidating staff at Harlan laboratories[1][2]

Investigations

NAVA have headed a number of high-profile investigations into animal research and the breeding of animals for experimentation.

In 2010, an exposé was released into the transportation of primates from the Caribbean for use in laboratories. The report focused on US-cargo giant Amerijet International who were, at the time, shipping monkeys to American laboratories. An insight was given into thirteen breaches of the US Animal Welfare Act, which included primates being left without adequate food and water, insufficient provisions leading to the risk of suffocation and other similar allegations of cruelty.[3] Subsequently, the airline placed an embargo on the transportation of animals for research purposes.[4]

A 2011 report named 'Born to Die' was produced, focussing on the breeding of beagles for research by Harlan Laboratories. Specific allegations included canines being provided with insufficient exercise, kennel units being improperly maintained and soiled with faeces and members of staff shaving obscenities into the fur of dogs.[5][6]

The report was based on the claims of a NAVA activist who had been working undercover at the facility.

One of the trainers went into a pen and held down a dog with his knee. He was kicking the dog while he held it down to try and subdue it. Then he started punching it and then he held it up by the throat and said to it: 'So are you going to stop'?

Beagle Farm controversy

B&K Universal is a British breeder of animals for research purposes. In 2011 the company placed a planning application with East Riding of Yorkshire Council to construct a large facility, maintaining a colony of thousands of dogs to be sold to laboratories for use in vivisection.[7]

A coalition of groups, including NAVA, the BUAV and NAVS, rallied supporters in Beverley, East Yorkshire, to oppose the facility's approval and gathered objections from members of the public nationwide.[8]

On Thursday 16 June 2011, a Planning Committee hearing was held at County Hall, Beverley, to conclude a decision regarding the application. Committee members turned down the proposal with a majority vote.

In August 2011, B&K Universal announced the lodging of an appeal with Bristol's Planning Inspectorate.[9] A petition was gathered by anti-vivisectionists receiving over 28,000 signatures opposing the building of the beagle breeding farm.[10]

The application was recovered by the Secretary of State and Conservative MP, the Rt Hon Eric Pickles, as a matter of national public interest. His decision is yet to be announced.[11][12]

Campaign for the Abolition of Vivisection

September 2011 saw NAVA heighten calls for the British government to honour pledges made to reduce the number of animals used in the nation's laboratories.[13]

NAVA members gathered in London to march on Downing Street as the start of a new campaign to bring about the abolition of vivisection begun. Marchers carried purple flags, the colour of the anti-vivisectionists, and delivered a letter to Prime Minister David Cameron reiterating the calls.[14][15]

Further reading

Notes
  1. "Luke Steele: Profile of a Convicted Animal Rights Activist". 8 January 2014. Retrieved 10 January 2014.
  2. "Animal Activists' Terror Tactics Drive Staff out of Laboratories". 19 July 2012.
  3. "Investigations - NAVA :: National Anti-Vivisection Alliance". Antivivisection.info. Retrieved 2011-10-16.
  4. Mooney, Michael J. (2011-02-14). "Amerijet Says It Will Stop Shipping Monkeys - Broward/Palm Beach News - The Daily Pulp". Blogs.browardpalmbeach.com. Retrieved 2011-10-16.
  5. "'Battery beagles' let out of cages for just 20 minutes a week". mirror.co.uk. Retrieved 2011-10-16.
  6. "Exposed: Harlan Beagles". Antivivisection.info. Retrieved 2011-10-16.
  7. "Campaigners: We'll battle beagle plans". This is Hull and East Riding. 2011-08-29. Archived from the original on 2012-09-02. Retrieved 2011-10-16.
  8. "Beagle farm protest at County Hall". This is Hull and East Riding. 2011-06-06. Archived from the original on 2012-06-16. Retrieved 2011-10-16.
  9. "B&K Universal to appeal after expansion plans rejected". This is Hull and East Riding. 2011-06-17. Archived from the original on 2011-08-10. Retrieved 2011-10-16.
  10. "28,000 objections to beagle farm plan". This is Hull and East Riding. 2011-09-09. Archived from the original on 2012-06-16. Retrieved 2011-10-16.
  11. "Beagle Farm Decision Heads to the Secretary of State - NAVA". Antivivisection.info. Retrieved 2011-10-16.
  12. "BUAV campaign to stop beagle farm continues". Buav.org. 2011-09-23. Retrieved 2011-10-16.
  13. "BBC News - Animal experiments increase again". Bbc.co.uk. 2011-07-14. Retrieved 2011-10-16.
  14. "Anti-Vivisectionists March on Downing Street - NAVA". Antivivisection.info. Retrieved 2011-10-16.
  15. Marshall, Peter (2011-09-24). "National Anti-Vivisection Alliance March in London". Demotix.com. Archived from the original on 2012-10-18. Retrieved 2011-10-16.
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