Today we delivered a Valentine's Day gift to Professor Blaikie of the University of Otago. We wanted to remind him of the animals' lives that are at stake if current plans for a new animal lab go ahead. What better day than Valentine's Day to ask the University of Otago to 'Have a Heart'?

Each of the eleven presents represents one of the different species used by the University in 2015, accumulating to a total of over thirteen thousand animals. From mice to reptiles and goats, the University uses over 10 different types of animals for science every year.

These gifts were used to send a message on behalf of all of the animals who were used by the university last year, and who will be used in the future if the new $50 million animal lab is built: Have a heart Otago, Stop the Otago Animal Lab!

We ask Professor Blaikie and the University of Otago to 'Have a Heart' and discontinue plans for further ineffective animal-based research. If the University wishes to become an innovative institution they will join forward-thinking researchers from around the globe and embrace human-based research in their new facility.

After these gifts weren't collected by Professor Blaikie and we could not get a hold of him to come and collect his gifts, we went and placed them outside the main entrance of the University of Otago Campus early. Shortly after doing so a University representative came and asked us to remove the Valentine“s gift from their private property.

Luckily for us, we have such dedicated volunteers who were willing to sit with the gifts on the public footpath so that members of the general public could come and learn about the Stop the Otago Animal Lab Campaign and take photos with the giant card and presents! 

We want to thank all of our amazing supporters and volunteers for enabling this action.

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