Based on emails received on 2nd & 5th Januay 2002
HUNTINGDON - THE CAMPAIGN CONTINUES
Huntington Life Sciences (HLS) is the largest animal testing company in Europe. It has recently removed itself from the UK stock exchange and been placed on the U.S. stock exchange.
HLS has been the site of five undercover investigation, and in each investigation animal cruelty, worker incompetence, and law violations were found. The first undercover investigation was in 1981 by Sarah Kite. She was told by supervisors not to play or touch the beagle puppies because it was a waste of her work time. A fellow employee was quoted saying that the rodents in toxicology were "rotting but still alive." The next investigation was in 1997 by Zoe Broughton. She caught on tape puppies sitting in cages in their own congealed blood and vomit. Puppies getting punched in the face because workers were frustrated by not being able to find the veins, because the puppies were too young. She also captured on tape employees laughing, fooling around, and making disparaging remarks about the suffering.
Employees have been caught saying that the reason animal research is used is because the data can be manipulated to fit what the client wants. HLS is used by companies like Monsanto, Glaxo Wellcome, Neurocrine, Du Pont, and many others. They test agrochemical, toothpaste, hair dye, household cleaners, and other chemicals. HLS manipulates data so that the product will get on the market, and so they have renewed business.
Also, animal testing on the whole isn't reliable. Many products that are tested safe on animals prove to be harmful to humans, and vice versa. There are alternatives to animal testing that are much more reliable, for example simulators, computer modeling, and in vitro tests (for more information on alternatives please visit the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine webpage).
For these reasons SHAC has been campaigning against HLS. SHAC, an organization started in the UK has started a new chapter in the U.S. called SHACUSA. Since boycotting HLS would be impossible because people don't go to the store and buy vivisection our campaign has taken the form of pulling HLS's financial support away. Many of HLS's financial supporters have promised to never do business with them again, including Merrill Lynch, Royal Bank of Scotland, Oracle Partners and Nat West Bank. HLS was in danger of having to close down when Stephens Inc gave them a 33 million dollar (22.5 pound) loan which allowed them to keep their doors open. If Stephens Inc won't give them a renewal on the loan when they need it they will have to close down. So, our campaign now is directed at making sure that Stephens Inc will divest and not give them a renewal on the loan. Many protests have taken place across the country and it has turned into one of the most successful an imal rights campaigns ever.
As we go forward into the year 2002 let's take a look back at some of the amazing results achieved last year and remind ourselves that together we can do it - we can pull Huntingdon Life Sciences apart bit by bit.
03/01/01 - HLS Director Joseph Dowling QUITS working for the company.
14/01/01 - Royal Bank of Scotland CANCELS HLS's overdraft leaving them facing massive financial problems.
15/01/01 - HLS customer Servier PULL OUT and vow not to use them again.
17/01/01 - Citibank DUMP 10 million HLS shares.
31/01/01 - Pershing DUMP their HLS shares.
04/02/01 - Merryl Lynch DUMP 8 million HLS shares.
01/03/01 - Shares Magazine announced to its readers that HLS are 'BEST AVOIDED'.
28/03/01 - Winterflood and Kleinwort Dresdner Wasserstein QUIT HLS leaving them with no market makers to set the share price, the result is that HLS' shares drop to 2.5p in just a few hours.
30/03/01 - HLS customer British Biotech PULL OUT.
02/04/01 - 14 beagles LIBERATED from HLS in the USA.
10/04/01 - Charles Schwabb DUMP 5 million HLS shares and refuse to deal with any more.
16/04/01 - TD Waterhouse REFUSE to deal in HLS shares.
25/04/01 - DLJ Direct STOP dealing in HLS shares.
03/05/01 - Allied Irish Bank PULL OUT of a consortium of banks lending HLS money.
08/06/01 - Amid this financial crisis HLS POSTPONE their AGM.
02/07/01 - HLS in such a FINANCIAL MESS that the Bank of England steps in to give them an account.
08/08/01 - Customer Tate and Lyle DUMP HLS after campaigners threaten to target their business.
28/08/01 - On this day and beyond a further 20 COMPANIES vow NEVER to use HLS to test their products.
09/10/01 - HLS can take the UK no more; they announce that they are RUNNING SCARED to the USA where they claim that there is a less hostile attitude towards investing in their work. Their move fails 3 times before it goes through because they cannot get enough shareholder support and they can't find a company willing to fill in the paperwork!!
17/10/01 - SHAC USA force HLS's final market maker to DROP them showing HLS that the US is no safe haven for animal abusers.
09/11/01 - HLS are dragged through the courts by activists and eventually plead GUILTY to breaking company law.
07/12/01 - HLS animal breeder RAIDED. 30 beagles and 10 ferrets saved.
28/12/01 -SHAC USA end their year on a high note as they force Paragon Capital to DUMP HLS.
BUT THE THE BATTLE HAS NOT FINISHED YET- this year we must work harder and fight harder in order to knock out the last few pillars of financial support beneath HLS and bring them crashing to the ground. HLS are over; they are dead in the water. The only thing keeping those animals locked inside that death camp now is Stephens Inc - HLS' largest shareholder and key financial backer. The timing has never been more perfect for campaigners in the UK and the US to pull together and hammer this disgrace of an investment firm from both sides of the Atlantic. We must sink our teeth into Stephens Inc and not let go until they pull out of HLS and force them to close.
THE ANIMALS ARE RELYING ON US! WE CAN DO IT AND WE WILL DO IT - 2002 THE YEAR TO FINISH HLS!
For more information on this campaign Stop Huntingdon Animal Cruelty
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