5-Animals: American Anti-Vivisection Society launchesanti-pet-cloning campaign

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TITLE:  Animal Advocates Oppose Pet Cloning:
        American Anti-Vivisection Society Launches Public Education Campaign
SOURCE: The American Anti- Vivisection Society / U.S. Newswire
        http://releases.usnewswire.com/printing.asp?id=39905
DATE:   18 Nov 2004

------------------- archive: http://www.genet-info.org/ -------------------


Animal Advocates Oppose Pet Cloning: American Anti-Vivisection Society
Launches Public Education Campaign

JENKINTOWN, Pa., Nov. 18 /U.S. Newswire/ - The American Anti- Vivisection
Society (AAVS) is proud to announce the launch of a public education
campaign and new Web site, HTTP://WWW.NOPETCLONING.ORG dedicated to
informing the public about the budding market in cloned companion animals
such as cats and dogs and its harm to these animals.

"It might seem hard to believe, but private companies are trying to
capitalize on the public's ever-growing bond with animals by offering to
clone companion animals," said Crystal Miller-Spiegel, AAVS senior policy
analyst. "However, several factors cause us grave concern, primarily the
suffering endured by the animals in the cloning laboratories and how this
industry will impact our nation's critical cat and dog overpopulation
problem."

Citing references to scientific literature and other resources, the Web
site includes information about animal welfare, consumer fraud, ethics,
and science, media resources, expert opinions, and much more. Visitors
can also view a page of companion animals and remarkable "clones" or
look-alikes who await adoption. "Results from animal studies published in
science journals indicate that cloned animals suffer in many ways. Our
goal is to demonstrate that there is no need to risk harming cats and
dogs in pet cloning experiments when there are plenty of cats and dogs
who need loving families," said Miller- Spiegel.

Earlier this year, AAVS commissioned a survey to assess the public's
perspective on pet cloning. The results showed that 80 percent of people
in the U.S. are opposed to cloning companion animals such as cats and
dogs, and 84 percent feel that companies should not be allowed to sell
genetically engineered animals as pets. The companies currently offering
pet cloning and genetic banking services are focused solely on selling
pets, not improving human or veterinary medicine.

---

AAVS is a non-profit animal advocacy and educational organization
dedicated to ending experiments on animals in research, testing, and
education. Founded in Philadelphia in 1883, AAVS is the oldest
organization in the United States dedicated to eliminating experiments on
animals. AAVS pursues its objectives through legal and effective
advocacy, education, and the support of the development of non-animal
alternative methods.


Contact:
Crystal Miller-Spiegel of the American Anti-Vivisection Society, 215-887-
0816 ext. 351 or 916-371-9872 or cspiegel@aavs.org




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