Almost before the ink was dry on Mobilise! 37, the newly-formed Australian and New Zealand Council for the Care of Animals in Research and Teaching was in action combating NZAVS...

The report came from Masterton, which, for the edification of overseas readers is a peaceful and unassuming country market town notably the centre of the fertile Wairarapa farming district, which predominantly produces meat and dairy produce for export and home consumption, frozen meat and by-products, fertilisers, agricultural implements and timber products. Ostensibly this would have been the last place for the pharmaceutical conglomerations, aided by the state and the entire weight of the giant vivisection affiliates to strike, however it was in Masterton that Selena Withers our hard-working Wairarapa coordinator had placed, what she describes as "an eye-catching" display of NZAVS material.

The display was so successful that it caught the telescopic long-range eye of ANZCCART sojourned approximately 80km away over the Rimutaka Hill in Wellington, the Capital, and so concerned the new organisation that its secretary telephoned the Masterton library with a battery of questions: What the display consisted of? How it had got there? Who placed it there? How long would it remain? etc... This was followed by the appearance of a second "eye-catching" visual which was installed in a prominent position alongside NZAVS display, the difference being that it depicted happy and contented animals and their salubrious vivisectors extolling the virtues of animal experimentation. Also offering was copious amounts of glossy give-away booklets produced by ANZCCART, in other words, the combined weight of the Australasian vivisection community and its agents, which include the New Zealand Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries. (Members are referred to Mobilise! 37 for the objectives of this new affiliation founded 1/7/93.)

The New Broom Sweeps Clean

The lead article in ANZCCART's first newsletter gives a clue as to why Selena Withers' modest display of NZAVS literature was sabotaged. Authored by David Mellor of the Department of Veterinary Science at Massey University it expresses concern that..

"animal based science no longer holds an unchallenged place in our culture".

Belabouring the assumption that such challenge originates from "philosophers, ethicists and animal activists" Mr Mellor goes on to say:

"ANZCCART together with the forming of national animal ethics committees and the recent establishment of the Chair of Animal Welfare Science at Massey will provide the evidence that we in NZ are taking our responsibilities to animals in science and agriculture seriously".

He warns however that

"more will be required... as these Bodies must lead societal attitudes in seeking an ethical balance between self-interest and altruism".

Mr Mellor ignored the all important scientific objection to vivisection!

Selena Withers with the offending NZAVS display in Masterton Public Library

ANZCCART retaliates by promoting "excellence" in vivisection

(Continued next page)