Will Poulter Urges University of Bristol to Ban Forced Swim Experiments
PETA and actor Will Poulter are urging the University of Bristol to ban cruel and worthless forced swim experiments.
After learning that the University of Bristol subjects rats to terror and panic in forced swim experiments, PETA shared information with the institution about the lack of scientific and ethical value of these tests. However, it continues to pursue methods that the scientific community has shown to be flawed.
Now, Will has taken a stand for these animals by sending the university, his alma mater, a letter highlighting the scientific and ethical issues associated with these cruel tests. And we’ll keep putting pressure on the university until no animals are subjected to the useless experiments.
What Are Bristol Experimenters Doing to Rats?
University experimenters place rats in sheer-sided containers filled with water and watch them paddle furiously in search of an exit, desperately trying to keep their heads above water.
Forced Swim Experiments Are Bad Science
These tests induce panic and terror in vulnerable animals and are not a reliable tool for assessing neurobehavioural disorders. The wider scientific community condemns tests such as these, and more and more companies are phasing them out.
Organisations Are Saying Goodbye to Forced Swim Experiments
After PETA provided King’s College London with scientific evidence showing the failings of the forced swim test, a similar experiment, the university confirmed it does not intend to conduct the test on any species going forward. In September, the University of Adelaide announced that it would no longer subject animals to the test. Additionally, 14 companies (including GlaxoSmithKline, AstraZeneca, Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson, Roche, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Bayer, Novo Nordisk, AbbVie, Boehringer Ingelheim, and Sage Therapeutics) have banned the test after hearing from PETA or its affiliates.
It’s time the University of Bristol followed suit and invested in humane, human-relevant, non-animal methods.
What You Can Do for Rats
Join PETA in calling on the University of Bristol to ban the near-drowning of animals. Using forced swim experiments in an attempt to study human neurobehavioural conditions is not only appallingly cruel but also utterly pointless. These experiments do nothing more than waste animals’ lives and delay the development of new effective treatments, which are desperately needed.
Help us put pressure on the university – add your name to our action alert:
