Long Island Organization Calls For End Of 'Barbaric Practice' Animal Testing

SMITHTOWN, NY — Guardians of Rescue, a Smithtown-based organization that has the mission of protecting the well-being of all animals, created a petition to end animal testing, it announced.

"Most people are against animal testing, yet they unknowingly purchase things that have been tested on animals at some point before they were brought to market," Guardians of Rescue stated.

Guardians of Rescue's petition is addressed to United States Secretary of Health Xavier Becerra and Deputy Secretary of Health and Human Services Andrea Palm.

The organization states it recently rescued 30 cats and over 100 beagles from two labs that were using them for animal testing.

“We are actively rescuing animals from laboratory, and we are fighting and lobbying to see this barbaric practice ended," Robert Misseri, founder of Guardians of Rescue, said via news release. "Most of these animals would have been put down once they were no longer needed after living a life of suffering. We give them a chance to live the rest of their lives loved and happy. We will fight for this, but we need the backing of community members to help strengthen our position."

Guardians of Rescue stated that:

• Each year, roughly 780,000 animals are used in regulated animal laboratory activities in the U.S. alone, according to data collected by Speaking of Research. Guardians of Rescue claims many animals are tortured in experiments that inflict pain and distress, yet they do not receive pain-relieving drugs or treatments.
• A study published in The Journal of the American Medical Association found that medical treatments developed in animals rarely translate to humans and that practitioners in medicine rarely prescribe treatments solely based on animal experimentation. These tests are therefore unproductive and unnecessary.
• The Animal Welfare Act is a federal law that addresses the standard of care animals receive at research facilities. This law excludes rats, mice, birds, fish, and reptiles. It also provides only minimal protections for the rest. Further, labs are not required to report non-AWA-protected animals.
• Currently, there are as few as roughly 120 USDA inspectors to oversee more than 12,000 facilities, the Animal Legal Defense Fund states. This leaves little oversight to help protect these animals with very few legal protections.
• While many consumers seek out products labeled as "cruelty-free" or "not tested on animals," that doesn't mean animals haven't been tested. According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), those labels have no legal definition. Many raw materials, used in cosmetics, were tested on animals years ago when they were first introduced, according to the FDA. A cosmetic manufacturer might only use those raw materials and base their "cruelty-free" claims on the fact that the materials or products are not "currently" tested on animals, the FDA stated.

“Nobody has to work on their own to get this cruel animal testing banned,” Misseri said. "They can join forces with us. Together, we can ensure our voices are heard and protect the animals."

Guardians of Rescue assists animals on the streets and investigates animal cruelty cases. It is located in Smithtown, but it helps animals in many places around the country and internationally. It also helps military members with their pets through its "No Buddy Left Behind” program.