Propaganda on animal testing in Mauritius: “a monkey or your child?”

With Air France having stopped transporting primates and the shocking revelations on laboratory practices, both in Mauritius and in France, the animal testing industry feels that change is coming. For more than a century, when it considers itself sufficiently threatened to give up on any rational ethical discussion, it falls back on fear: “a dog or your child?”

150 years of appealing to selfishness

Reading such outrageous claims, we can see that its defence has not changed much. Since 1884, its "invariable” tactic was reported on as follows by Paul Viguier*:

« We are launching(…), in the form of impartial assessments, statements of medical discoveries that are credited with vivisection, and which are likely to pique the fierce egoism of “everyone” who is unwell, or who feels capable of becoming unwell. — From there to concluding that the torture of forty thousand dogs is nothing compared to the relief of a single patient, there is only one step: and this step is left to the frightened public to take. — If necessary, if they hesitate, we help them. »

Paul Viguier, 1884

Today, the public is no longer hesitant: the detailed opinions published by Ipsos and One Voice in spring 2023 revealed that in France, almost eight in ten adults are opposed to animal testing. And the situation is the same throughout the world. This is how the appeal to fear takes over...

Fear is never advised

So, a monkey or your child? This is not a new question, and it has already received a clear answer for more than one hundred years**:

« To save my child, I should, very possibly, be prepared to vivisect the honourable Member who asked [that question], but that would hardly be accepted as proof that I was morally right in so doing. »

G. G. Greenwood, 1913

Even for those who do not categorically refuse these practices, if an ethical debate must take place, it should still be done in a rational way, without being influenced by fear which all too often causes discrimination and fundamental injustice.

The fight is not over

The good news? If Mauritian breeders have come to this conclusion, it is because testing on primates is starting to disappear. This is a disappearance that will not upset many people! But the fight is not over. This propaganda, which calls on each person’s egoism, is dangerous.

To help us put an end to these horrors, you can sign our petitions for the closure of NeuroSpin and for stopping the importation and use of macaques.

*Cited by François-Victor Foveau de Courmelles in La Vivisection: erreurs et abus [Vivisection: errors and misuse] (1912), p.36.
**Cited by A.W.H. Bates in Anti-Vivisection and the Profession of Medicine in Britain: A Social History (2017), p.148.

Translated from the French by Joely Justice

Comments 2

Username :*

Email :*

I accept that publication of my comments is subject to the code of conduct.

Je souhaite être tenu au courant des campagnes de One Voice et participer à son combat et j'accepte de recevoir des appels aux dons de l'association.

I agree that the information entered in the form will be registered and used by the association as part of the processing of my application and I certify that I am 16 years of age or older.*

To learn more about the processing of your personal data see the details on this page.

Dégoût profond pour ces gens de labos qui martyrisent les animaux dans un but unique, satisfaire leur égo surdimensionné de chercheurs de bas étage !

Ils sont tous immondes et infâmes tous ces chercheurs et éleveurs d'animaux pour les laboratoires de la honte car un tel slogan est plus que stupide et non recevable, et personnellement, je l'ai entendu maintes et maintes fois lorsque j'argumente contre l'expérimentation animale, tous ces gens là n'ont absolument rien compris. En tant que protecteurs et défenseurs des animaux dans tous domaines et là contre l'expérimentation animale, il va de soi, qu'en dénonçant et en refusant fermement toutes ces expériences plus qu'abominables et ignobles à l'encontre d'autres êtres vivants "pour soi disant notre confort et faire avancer et progresser la recherche", nous refusons de même qu'elle se pratique à l'encontre des humains. C'est pourtant une évidence et c'est là que nous constatons le grand fossé qui nous sépare avec tous ces scientifiques qui se pensent supérieurs et tout puissant envers les animaux, car une vie en vaut une autre il n'y a aucune différence tout simplement. Le combat doit continuer de plus belle car nous ne pouvons et n'avons pas le droit d'abandonner nos amis les plus proches que sont ANIMAUX !