by Sarena Miller, special for West Island Blog
Despite the bitter cold and wind, on Friday March 16th, dozens of caring citizens gathered in Baie Durfe to protest.
It has been a year since CTV’s W5 aired the undercover investigation that exposed alleged animal abuse at a Baie Durfe’s pharmaceutical, home and cosmetic product testing laboratory.
Not only do these animals to endure a life of painful testing, according to W5 and the Last Chance for Animals organization there have been instances of mistreatment and physical at the hands of some lab employees.
Cameras showed disturbing videos of animals being hit, having their ears pulled, being held down and being thrown into cages and onto tables. The sounds of crying animals and howling dogs can be heard throughout the hallways.
Most people are unaware that in our neighbourhood lies an unimaginable house of horrors.When speaking to West Island community members who were at the protest, the reaction to learning that this is occurring in our own backyard – is a startled one. “I didn’t know.”
“It shows that more and more people are becoming aware of the cruelty and are taking action to stop it,” said Marla Kouri-Towe, one of the organizers of Friday’s protest. “We will continue to hold protests in Baie D’Urfé, but we will also be putting more pressure on politicians and the local, provincial and federal government to take action as well. Knowledge is power. The movement to stop the torture of innocent animals gains momentum as more people become aware of the unnecessary, unreliable, cruel, inhumane and outdated testing methods practiced inside Canadian labs.”
“Nearly 40 countries have already banned animal testing and now it’s time for Canada to join the world,” she stated.
Sarena Miller is the founder of the www.We2network.com and www.BusinessBetterment.com
