Pop star Will Young is urging a UK research facility to allow laboratory dogs to be re-homed when they are no longer needed.
The Leave Right Now singer and long-time animal rights campaigner has signed an open letter from the Beagle Freedom Project UK.
The star has previously handcuffed himself to the gates of a puppy breeding centre at MBR Acres site near RAF Wyton in Cambridgeshire
He was pictured in 2021 by the Twitter account Camp Beagle, which represents the demonstrators who camped outside the facility’s gates for several months.
Protesters were calling for modern computer research to be used instead of experimenting on animals.
His latest campaign is designed to prevent animals no longer needed for experimentation to be rehomed.
Beagle Freedom Project UK fears that unwanted animals are then put to sleep.
Also backing the plea are Actress Dame Joanna Lumley, presenter Graham Norton and businesswoman Deborah Meaden.
Beagle Freedom Project said it had successfully re-homed more than 3,000 dogs since it was founded in the US in 2010.
Among them was a beagle called Mamma Mia, which was adopted by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex in 2022.
Beagle Freedom Project UK said, in its open letter signed by 40 celebrities, that consideration for the dogs’ welfare “must extend beyond their time in your laboratory”.
“After all they have been through in their lives, we believe the dogs deserve some fresh air, a soft spot on a couch and some affection,” the letter said.
“Whether that be for 10 years or a few moments.
“It is better for them to spend their last years, months, or even just days in comfort, being cared for and loved, rather than in a laboratory, alone and unknown.”
Young, who is an ambassador for Beagle Freedom Project UK, was involved in a demonstration at MBR Acres in 2021.
Speaking at the time, Young said: “I’m an animal lover, and I just couldn’t sit at home. I was unaware until about six months ago that even facilities like this existed.”
Of the open letter, he said: “Beagles are the preferred choice for laboratories because of their sweet and gentle nature. They are docile and forgiving and do not fight back.
“The sad truth is that the very reason people love them is why they are exploited.”
Robert Cogswell, director of Beagle Freedom Project UK, said: “We hope that with high-profile people agreeing to add their names to an open letter, the companies concerned will allow us to help their animals just as we have been able to do with many animal testing facilities in the US.”
MBR Acres has been approached for comment.
Original Article: iTV News