PETA has learned from Animal-Free Science Advocacy that experimenters at Monash University pounded rats in the head with heavy weights to inflict painful, traumatic brain injuries supposedly to study the human health impacts of domestic violence. Other rats were subjected to both head trauma and  strangulation by having heavy weights suspended from their necks. Some were even beaten, hammered and amputated.

These horrific procedures are not only inhumane but also misguided. Research has shown that animal models often fail to accurately predict human reactions due to significant biological differences. Moreover, alternative testing methods, such as in vitro testing and computer modeling, have advanced to the point where they can provide more relevant, humane, and accurate insights into human health issues, including those arising from domestic violence.

Rats, like all animals, are sentient beings capable of feeling pain and distress. Subjecting them to such torture in the name of research isn't just morally wrong; it's also scientifically unsound. Monash University, as a leader in education and research, has a responsibility to adopt cruelty-free methodologies that reflect compassion and respect for all living creatures.

We urge Monash University to immediately halt these brutal experiments and shift towards ethical, non-animal research methods. By doing so, they can set a precedence for scientific exploration that values life and dignity while still advancing human understanding of complex issues like domestic violence.

Join us in calling for an end to these cruel experiments on rats. Your signature can help push Monash University to reconsider their research methods and move towards a cruelty-free future. Please sign this petition to make a difference.