Victory! Canada Will End Requirement for Year-Long Pesticide Testing on Beagles

Beagles are pretty much the most adorable dogs on the planet, so it’s hard to believe that these very animals are forced to undergo cruel laboratory experiments. But thanks to the hard work of animal rights activists, Health Canada has decided to end the cruel, unnecessary practice of year-long pesticide testing on innocent beagles. This decision could save hundreds of beagles every year.

According to PETA, anywhere from 32 to 64 dogs used in these cruel tests “were forced to eat pesticide-laced food or inhale pesticide fumes every day for a year before being killed.” Once killed, researchers dissected the dog to investigate what the chemicals did to their organs.

But the agency concluded that the year-long tests were no longer necessary; the most harmful results of pesticides show within the first 90 days, so the year-long tests result in excessive suffering.

“We don’t really need this kind of testing because most of the results show up in the first 90 days,” Patricia Bishop, a scientific researcher for PETA, told VICE. “The research has shown that this is a policy stuck in the past. We aren’t learning too much from these sorts of tests.”

While this is an amazing victory, it must be noted that there is still A LOT of work to be done. In fact, some countries will still require the year-long testing. For example, if a Canadian manufacturer commissions a study to sell food-related pesticides to Japan or South Korea, dogs must still undergo excruciating – and fatal – testing. It also should be noted that this news only applies to beagles and pesticides, beagles are still extensively used for pharmaceutical testing.

The question still remains: when will animal testing be banned altogether? With recent news of chemical mapping showing us that we do not need to be using animals at all, it’s time we take action to ban animal testing once and for all!

Lead image source: Timothy Fenn/Flickr