As a comedic actor, writer and director Ricky Gervais makes audiences laugh, but through his real life role as an animal advocate the creator of The Office tugs at our collective heartstrings as he shines a light on some of the darkest topics in the world of animal welfare.
A long-time supporter of the British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection, the funny man– who has previously helped to highlight the BUAV’s campaign to end Cardiff University’s controversial research in which kittens’ eyes were sewn closed, and a campaign to stop a planning proposal to build a facility in Yorkshire to breed and supply dogs for research — has joined the organization’s Our Best Friends campaign to call for an end to government experiments on cats and dogs.
According to Home Office statistics, 3,214 canines and 202 cats were subjected to experiments in Great Britain in 2012– a 6% increase for dogs and a 32% increase for cats on the previous year.
Speaking about the campaign, the high-profile pet parent to a Siamese cat named Ollie stated: “Cats share our homes, they are loving, loyal and playful and they deserve a safe and happy life, not one of suffering. That’s why I am supporting the Our Best Friends campaign, taking action to bring a stop to the suffering of cats and dogs in UK laboratories. Take a look at ourbestfriends.org and sign the petition today at ourbestfriends.org/petition.”
Ricky Gervais’s show of support for BUAV’s Our Best Friends campaign follows that of another fellow famous friend to Fidos and felines– Paul O’Grady, who posed for the paws cause with his barking buddy, Olga.
The BUAV Chief Executive, Michelle Thew, said: “In the UK, dogs and cats are our most popular companion animals, yet they continue to be harmed in cruel experiments and there is no Government policy to reduce their use, let alone bring it to an end. We thank Ricky for his support and urge the public to join us to make their voices heard, by writing to their MPs to sign EDM 514 and by signing our petition today at ourbestfriends.org/petition.”
Photo Credit: BUAV
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