The GRAAL association vigorously defends their commitment to laboratory animals: a real rehabilitation in normal life after years of exploitation. Contacted by phone, Marie-Françoise Lheureux, president and founder of this great cause, explains all the facets of this initiative.
"Taking care after their release is a first step towards reducing laboratory animals", tells us Marie-Françoise Lheureux, president and founder of the GRAAL animal defense association. An ambition that sounds like a deliverance for all animals (cats, dogs, horses, rodents …) that are always in this advanced world, used for various laboratory research.
"When we look at the figures which are the site of the ministry for research, we notice that from one year to another the results are stable, there is the same proportion of use of dog of cat of primate of horses , rodents, for years. We are on a trend of 2 million animals used per year in French laboratories. GRAAL supports alternative methods (cell or organ cultures) and we hope to see these results decrease significantly. But as of today, we have to do with what we have", declares the president of the association.
GRAAL remains very lucid on the fight of the 0 exploited animal because this "experimentation is compulsory in France", recalls Marie-Françoise Lheureux.
"Le most shocking in this case, it is the animals which continue to be euthanized at the end of the research when their state of health would allow them to live a second life. VShe unhappy did not ask for anything. At a minimum, a certain number of rights should be granted to these animals. Scientists should plan at the start of their protocol, because they know very well the animals that may or may not be able to, a retirement budget, "she said.
A fact that does not leave indifferent when we love animals. They would be (between 15 and 20%) thus integrated into protocols of critical severity, that is to say protocols that require their euthanasia. "You take a hundred searches and you have 80 that don't involve animal euthanasia. I can say with complete certainty that today many animals continue to die in laboratories unnecessarily. For me it is an act of cruelty, "denounces the activist. However, there is a solution: rehabilitation!
Frankly, Marie-Françoise Lheureux explains that not all rodents can be rehabilitated because "there are not enough places for all these mice, on the other hand for all the other species, the association with a network in the whole of France able to welcome a large number of cats, dogs, horses and small farm animals".
Partner laboratories not to be demonized
During the interview, the founder of GRAAL explains that laboratories voluntarily come to work with her association. The latter, who are numerous, have, according to her, the most advanced ethics among French research units. They thus contact the organization to plan the departure of their animals to shelters, for future adoptions. More steps towards 0 euthanasia of which Marie-Françoise Lheureux dreams.
"Some labs pay large enough sums to rehabilitate their animals. Recently, 80 animals were brought to 4 French shelters by an approved transporter. It is the laboratory which paid the 4000-5000 euros. They also pay the veterinarians to establish the certificates of good health which attest to their exit. Without this sesame, no animal leaves and must be added to this the administrative costs. They also socialize the animals before their exit, for once, arrived in the shelters, the animals are well in their head for their meeting with the adopters. Those who think that we lend a good conscience to the labs, I say NO! You can't demonize them all. "
"I’m not saying that this is paradise in the labs, but in any case those who work with us have another look at their animals. ", she insists.
Rehabilitation
There is always emotion for the association when the animals leave the shelters for better lives in loving homes. Even if for Marie-Françoise Lheureux this emotion is more when she is contacted by laboratories: "I am always surprised to tell myself that a research unit in 2005 was kind enough to reach out to us and that this chain solidarity has been uninterrupted since. While 20 years ago we were in violent exchanges between association and laboratory ".
The animals are adopted very quickly (15 days or three weeks) thanks to the communication of the refuge and the GRAAL. And they have the joy of hearing news in video or photos of these rehabilitated beings.
The Reflection and Action Group for AnimaL (GRAAL) was born in 1997 in order to work for the abolition of bullfighting in France. It is indeed this objective which motivated the creation of the grouping at the origin. They work today in the framework of several files which make the specificity of GRAAL:
– Obtain the cessation of sales and allocation of lots of live animals in fairgrounds in accordance with the law (GRAAL has obtained commitments in this sense from several French cities)
– Rescuing equine animals who are mistreated or promised to be slaughtered (the GRAAL is today the owner of several dozen horses and ensures full control).
– Rehabilitate laboratory animals (cats, dogs, horses, primates, rodents, etc.) at the end of the protocol with voluntary research units. In action since 2005, more than 4,000 animals have been saved.
– Offer a video surveillance tool to slaughterhouses to minimize stress and suffering of animals in the last moments of their lives.