has been praised by animal rights group PETA after announcing plans to boycott cancer charities who test on animals. The multi-millionaire former Beatle has supported cancer charities since his first wife Linda died of the disease in 1998.
But on Monday (16Jul07) he revealed plans to refuse funding to organisations that practice vivisection, after discovering a number of charities close to his heart advocate the practice.
The vegan rocker said, "When Linda died I said I would support cancer charities. Animal rights groups wrote to me pointing out that many were heavily into vivisection - and it's true. A doctor we knew out in America just admitted it as a matter of fact, innocently, like 'Well, sure we do.' "What he doesn't realise is that he won't get a donation out of me for that very fact. There are better alternatives but you're not allowed to challenge the status quo."
His decision has been applauded by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. Alistair Currie - Senior Research and Campaigns Co-ordinator - says, “Animal testing charities don't just miss out on big money; they miss out on medical progress. Animals are not furry little humans and their bodies cannot reliably predict results for human conditions. While we know a great deal about cancer in mice, we don't know anywhere near enough about cancer in humans.
Thankfully, there are plenty of charities that go for the triple win: they don't cause animal suffering; they do support modern non-animal research that increases the chance of finding cures for humans; and they get the money of
smart, compassionate donors.”
