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Advocates for Animals is an British animal welfare organisation that campaigns against animal cruelty in all forms. The group opposes the use of animals in experiments, entertainment and factory farming, carries out undercover investigations into alleged abuse and promotes animal friendly lifestyle choices, such as vegetarianism.

Contents

[edit] Background and structure

Based in Edinburgh, Scotland, Advocates for Animals in its current form was established in 1989. However, the organisation was previously known as the Scottish Society for the Prevention of Vivisection, which was founded in 1912 by Nina Douglas-Hamilton, wife of the 13th Duke of Hamilton. The current, 15th Duke and Duchess remain active in the organisation. [1] The organisation's president is Jane Goodall, though it is run by successive directors, Les Ward and, currently, Ross Minett.



[edit] Background

The group was founded in 1992, the idea forming from a dialogue between Colin Blakemore, a stong advocate of animal experimentation and now chief executive of the Medical Research Council, and Les Ward, director of the anti-vivisection group, Advocates for Animals. The group is named after its chairman, Kenneth Boyd, a professor of medical ethics at the University of Edinburgh. [1]

[edit] Objectives and approach

The groups states its primary objective is to act as a "forum for open exchange of views" on "issues of concern" to its membership and, whenever possible, form consensus and make recommendations. [2] However, due to the diverse membership, the group will often fail to find consensus. In these situations, they aim to publish "an agreed account of where members (as people familiar with the issues) differ from one another, regarding what they consider to be the relevant facts, the best interpretation of these facts and relevant moral arguments". [2] Issues for debate are raised by members, then discussed by the group (or a sub-group). Occasionally, the group may communicate with other bodies, such as Pro-Test. [3]

The Boyd Group has been criticised by some anti-vivisection organisations. Representatives of the National Anti-Vivisection Society (NAVS) told a House of Lords select committee the Boyd Group is a "talking shop" with a "pre-set agenda." [4] However, Les Ward of Advocates for Animals defended his organisation's membership of the group and the effectiveness of a collaborative approach:

"Before cosmetic testing was abolished by the government, or a ban introduced, the Boyd Group called for it to be banned. That was great, here was the animal welfare and the scientific community going together to the Home Office with a powerful voice and putting the case forward." [5]

[edit] Membership

The group had, according to Blakemore in 2002, "about 25 member organisations" [6] including animal welfare groups, anti-vivisectionist groups, charitable bodies, government, industry, veterinarians, academic scientists and philosophers. The membership includes both expert individuals and those nominated by, and representative of, groups or societies. The group invites applications for membership, but excluding only individuals and groups that "support violent activity or break the criminal law". [2] Identified members include:

  • Professor Colin Blakemore
  • Professor Kenneth Boyd
  • Bioscience Federation's Animal Science Group [7]
  • Professor Stephen Clark [8]
  • Dr Robert Hubrecht [8]
  • Advocates for Animals [9]
  • RSPCA [9]
  • Fund for the Replacement of Animals in Medical Experiments [9]
  • The Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry [10]

The Boyd Group lacks representation from a number of large anti-vivisectionist organisations, with Blakemore admitting their "credibility is reduced because of that". [6] Both Ward and Blakemore have expressed a wish to include more of these organisations, including BUAV, NAVS, PETA and Animal Aid. [5] [9]

[edit] Publications

  • Ethical review of research involving animals: a role for institutional ethics committees? (March 1995) [11]
  • Advancing refinement of laboratory animal use (April 1998) [12]
  • The use of animals for testing cosmetics (July 1998) [13]
  • Genetic engineering: animal welfare and ethics (September 1999) [14]
  • The use of non-human primates in research and testing (June 2002) [15]
  • The use of animals in testing household products (December 2002) [16]
  • Boyd Group/RSPCA: Categorising the severity of scientific procedures on animals (July 2004) [17]

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ Kenneth Boyd Bringing both sides together. Camb Q Healthc Ethics. 1999; 8:43-5. PMID 9924617
  2. ^ a b c About the Boyd Group.PDF Retrieved December 12, 2006.
  3. ^ Pro-Test at the Boyd Group. Retrieved December 12, 2006.
  4. ^ Minutes of Evidence, Question 1362. Select Committee on Animals In Scientific Procedures, March 12, 2002. Retrieved December 12, 2006.
  5. ^ a b Minutes of Evidence, Question 1384. Select Committee on Animals In Scientific Procedures, March 12, 2002. Retrieved December 12, 2006.
  6. ^ a b Minutes of Evidence, Question 964. Select Committee on Animals In Scientific Procedures, January 22, 2002. Retrieved December 12, 2006.
  7. ^ Report of the Animal Science Group of the Biosciences Federation for 2005. Biosciences Federation. Retrieved December 12, 2006.
  8. ^ a b Current APC Members and Register of Interests. The Animal Procedures Committee. Retrieved December 12, 2006.
  9. ^ a b c d Minutes of Evidence, Question 967. Select Committee on Animals In Scientific Procedures, January 22, 2002. Retrieved December 12, 2006.
  10. ^ Minutes of Evidence, Question 1004. Select Committee on Animals In Scientific Procedures, January 22, 2002. Retrieved December 12, 2006.
  11. ^ A role for Institutional Ethics Committees? The Boyd Group, 1995. Retrieved December 12, 2006.
  12. ^ Advancing refinement of laboratory animal use.PDF Laboratory Animals. 1998; 32:137-42. Retrieved December 12, 2006.
  13. ^ The use of animals for testing cosmetics. The Boyd Group, 1998. Retrieved December 12, 2006.
  14. ^ Genetic engineering: animal welfare and ethics. The Boyd Group, 1999. Retrieved December 12, 2006.
  15. ^ The use of non-human primates in research and testing.PDF The Boyd Group, 2002. Retrieved December 12, 2006.
  16. ^ The use of animals in testing household products.PDF The Boyd Group, 2002. Retrieved December 12, 2006.
  17. ^ Categorising the severity of scientific procedures on animals.PDF The Boyd Group/RSPCA, 2004. Retrieved December 12, 2006.

[edit] External links

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