On Tuesday, we gathered outside Parliament alongside the Alliance for Cruelty Free Science to support Peter Egan’s petition calling for a Public Inquiry into the regulation of animal experimentation. Thankfully the weather was kind to us, and so were the people! We had fantastic support from members of the public and from MPs who came out to meet us, and to find out why change is so urgently needed. We heard speeches from Dominic Dyer, Gabby Allen, and our Scientific Advisor Dr André Menache, it was an really positive day and a great opportunity to engage directly with MPs. One of our campaigners, Katherine, chatted to her MP, Christian Wakeford, who pledged his support for our campaign. As we go to print, the petition have secured more than 30,000 signatures. But we need 100,000 by March for that all-important debate in Parliament. So, if you haven’t signed yet, please do and then share it far and wide.

We’re holding a peaceful protest outside Labcorp - on Wednesday 11 November to raise awareness of animal testing and the suffering of dogs in laboratories. On the same day, Labcorp will host the York and North Yorkshire Business Pitching 2026 conference, bringing together investors, business professionals and people from the life sciences industry. We are meeting at the Pine Marten Pub at 13:30, and will leave to walk to Lapbcorp at 14:00.

We're joining up with MAAT (March to Abolish Animal Testing) again - and are in the middle of planning activities at universities all around the country for 3 December. This is the second phase of our collaboration. We would love to have representation across the country, and particularly at universities that test on animals. London is key, but there are many universities that test, so sign up to the WhatsApp group (link below) to find out how you can help and where we most need people. This is also a big opportunity for us to gather more signatures for Peter Egan’s petition calling for a Public Inquiry into the regulation of animal experimentation, so please help us if you can.

New to Google sheets, Google Drive or Excel - we've got you! We do lots of our organising and planning on a shared Google Drive, which we know isn't familiar to all of you. So one of our lovely volunteers, Angela, has kindly offered to run a beginner-friendly training session to help campaigners feel more confident using Google Drive, Google Sheets and Excel. The session will cover the basics, with practical tips to help us work together more effectively. No previous experience needed! Sessions will be held online via Google Meet, with 30–45 minutes of training, followed by time for questions, up to a maximum of one hour in total. Everyone is welcome! Please register your interest on WhatsApp and/or our website for whichever date suits you best.

Help us get to 100k signatures - one of our campaigners, Jo is co-ordinating a big push to get more signatures for Peter Egan's petition. If you can do anything in your local area please get in touch and we will connect you with Jo, if we could get to 100k signatures, the inquiry will be debated in Parliament so please help if you can, this is a great opportunity to improve the regulation and welfare of all lab animals. You can find Jo on the Public Inquiry Petition Support WhatsApp group.

UK: Government sets targets for replacing dogs in some tests - The Home Office has confirmed that by 2030, it wants validated alternatives to reduce dog and non-human primate use by at least 35% in dedicated pharmacokinetic studies and 50% in dedicated cardiovascular safety studies. It's not soon enough for us but a sign that investment in NAMs is starting to translate into measurable ambitions for reducing animal use.

CANADA: New restrictions on dog and cat experiments face a court challenge - Ontario is due to introduce new restrictions on invasive research involving dogs and cats in January, but one research company is now trying to overturn them. It is a timely reminder that legislative change matters, but so does making sure new protections survive challenge and are properly implemented.

CANADA: Campaigners push for research beagles to be rehomed - questions are being asked about the future of beagles at Ontario research facility Transpharmation, with campaigners calling for every surviving dog no longer required for research to be rehomed. It closely mirrors the question we're asking here in the UK: if suitable ex-lab dogs can be rehomed, why shouldn't rehoming be the expectation rather than the exception? We are watching with interest.

US: Probable cause found in the US Ridglan farms beagle rescue case This is a case familiar to all of us; on 15 March this year, 51 people entered Ridglan Farms and rescued 22 beagles. During the rescue, they secured footage that uncovered serious breaches of legislation and animal welfare violations which ultimately led to the closure of Ridglan Farms. A Dane County judge has now found probable cause for activists to stand trial on felony burglary, theft and property damage charges. The judge also agreed with prosecutors that evidence about the beagles’ health, their living conditions and alleged regulatory violations cannot be used to justify their actions. In other words, the very conditions that motivated the rescue may not be heard as part of their defence. It is not yet clear whether this will also apply to the other 47 defendants, but it is a low blow for the campaigners involved.

US: We were deeply concerned to hear about Warhound - a US start-up launched last month with plans to clone genetically enhanced working dogs for the battlefield. Founded by Palmer Luckey and Ben Lamm, the company says its technology addresses a “problem in the welfare of these animals”. It has already been valued at $1.2bn. For us, this raises serious ethical and welfare questions. Animals are not military hardware. What evidence is there that cloning improves welfare for these working dogs? What safeguards protect egg donors, surrogate mothers and cloned puppies? What happens to dogs who fail to meet operational standards or develop health problems? And who will be responsible for their welfare when their working lives are over? The first puppies are expected to be born early next year.