23.10.26
From the Cruelty to Animals Act 1876 to today’s cutting-edge animal-free science, our new interview series explores the key developments in legislation, advocacy and science that have shaped the journey towards replacing animals in research, and the path ahead.
We are excited to announce our new campaign, Voices for Silent Lives: The Interview Trail, sharing a series of interviews with advocates from across the fields of animal welfare, ethics, science, law, and policy.
Before this series begins, we look at the catalyst for the campaign and who the voices in our interview series are.
The idea for this campaign was inspired by the 150th year anniversary of The Cruelty to Animals Act 1876, the first law to regulate animal experimentation in Britain. Yet, despite the progress made since then, figures released this summer showed that 2.54 million scientific procedures on living animals were carried out in Britain in 2025.
150 years of animal testing and beyond
Reflecting on the timeline of the past 150 years for animal experiments, we traced how the landscape for animal testing has changed since the introduction of The Cruelty to Animals Act 1876, with advances in science and technology now offering increasing opportunities to replace animals in research. The Interview Trail follows the progress made through to today and looks ahead to the replacing of animals in science, asking what next steps are needed to create a future of animal-free science.
What to expect along The Interview Trail!
Each key phase along the trail is paired with a different voice, sharing their insights on the milestones that have defined 150 years of animal experimentation.
Following our introduction, ‘The Cruelty to Animals Act 1876’, with Naturewatch Foundation’s Eve Bourke laying down the foundations, our first interview on the trail is with Alison Giles, CEO of The Humane Research Trust, on ‘The 60s and the beginnings of animal-free science’
We then hear from Edie Bowles, Managing Director for Advocates for Animals, with her thoughts on The Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 for the next milestone, ‘1986 and a new law for animals in labs‘. After this, we are in conversation with Hilary Jones, Ethics Director at LUSH, for her views on the drivers of change around ‘1998 and a world first for cosmetics’.
Next, we will hear from Irene Campbell, Labour MP for North Ayrshire and Arran, with her perspective on the next steps needed to help replace animals in science, for ‘2025 and a new strategy for animals in science.’
And finally, we hear from Dr Minerva Bosch Fortea, Humane Research Fellow at Barts Cancer Institute, for her views around ‘2026 and beyond: Shaping a Future Without Animal Testing’.
Thank you to all our interviewees for participating in Voices for Silent Lives: The Interview Trail.
