Olympics to showcase growing Chinese animal testing industry

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, December 2006:
BEIJING–The 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing will showcase the
fast-growing Chinese animal testing industry, the official Xinhua
news agency disclosed on November 15.
“All food and ingredients to be prepared in Olympic kitchens
will be fed to white mice a day before they are served to athletes,”
explained Beijing Municipal Health Inspection Bureau representative
Zhao Xinsheng.
Translated the BBC, “The mice will be fed milk, alcohol,
salad, rice, oil and seasonings. Mice show adverse reactions [to
common forms of food poisoning] within 17 hours, while laboratory
tests take much longer,” Zhao Xinsheng said.
The Olympic connection surfaced amid publication of frequent feature
articles about animal testing in China by Beijing-based business
writer Jehangir S. Pocha.

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New Congressional leaders have pro-animal history

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, December 2006:
WASHINGTON, DC.–Seldom if ever has a newly elected Congress
looked more friendly toward animals.
To be inaugurated on January 3, 2007, the Democratic
majorities elected in both the U.S. Senate and House of
Representatives on November 7, 2006 will take control of Congress
from the largely unfriendly Republican majority who prevailed for the
preceding 12 years, and will introduce into key positions some of
the Senators and Representatives with the voting records most
favorable to animals.
The Humane Society of the U.S. Legislative Fund publication
Humane Scorecard gave perfect 100% scores during the 109th Congress
to two of the five top-ranking members of the Democratic majority in
the 110th Senate: Charles Schumer of New York, who will be vice
chair of the Democratic caucus, and Patty Murray of Washington, who
will be conference secretary. Steering Committee chair Debbie
Stabenow of Michigan scored 80.
Humane Scorecard also gave perfect scores to six of the 19
committee chairs named to serve in the 110th House of
Representatives. Among the six were Budget chair John Spratt of
South Carolina; Education & Workforce chair George Miller of
California; Govern-ment Reform chair Henry Waxman of California;
International Relations chair Tom Lantos of California; Judiciary
chair James Conyers of Michigan; and Rules chair Louise Slaughter of
New York.

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European Commission votes to ban dog & cat fur

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, December 2006:
Brussels–The European Commission on November 20 adopted a
proposal to ban the import, export, and sale of cat and dog fur
throughout the European Union.
“The draft regulation will now be considered by the European
Parliament and the Council of Ministers for adoption by the
co-decision procedure,” explained the EC announcement.
“There is evidence that cat and dog fur is being placed on
the European market, usually undeclared as such or disguised as
synthetic and other types of fur,” the EC announcement summarized.
“The vast majority of the cat and dog fur is believed to be imported
from third countries, notably China.”
Fifteen of the 25 EU member nations have already individually
introduced legislation against cat and dog fur. “The proposed
regulation adopted today addresses EU citizens concerns, and creates
a harmonized approach,” the EC announcement stipulated. “It also
establishes a system of information exchange on the detection of cat
and dog fur.”

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