Maine is the first state to have the opportunity to limit the amount of severe pain and distress that occurs in research laboratories, and you can help.
Currently 16 laboratories conduct animal research in Maine on a wide range of animals including mice, rats, sheep, goats, seals and rabbits. Laboratories in Maine must be licensed through the Department of Agriculture. A bill — LD 779 — would add into that licensing statute a requirement that the labs not conduct experiments where vertebrate animals are subject to severe pain and distress.
LD 779 would still allow the labs to carry out research, but would require animals to be given appropriate pain-relieving medications and other experimental modifications to limit their pain and distress. Increased state oversight is needed because the Federal Animal Welfare Act does not cover mice, rats and birds, and has no limits on the amount of pain that can be inflicted on lab animals it does cover.
This bill has its public hearing this Tuesday, April 26 at 1pm in front of the Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry Committee in Augusta. Please lend your voice to these often forgotten and overlooked creatures.
If you attend the hearing, you may have the opportunity to give verbal testimony. If you cannot attend, please send written comments to the Committee. You can find the members’ and clerk’s contact info here.
The kitties thank you!
