Press release

Published: 16 April 2026

Nationwide actions on the International Day for the Abolition of Animal Experiments

In 2024, more than three million animals were subjected to suffering in German laboratories and were almost always killed—among them mice, rats, fish, rabbits, as well as dogs, cats, and monkeys. On the occasion of the International Day for the Abolition of Animal Experiments, the association Doctors Against Animal Experiments is calling to end animal experiments , while also pointing to a new feature film that demonstrates how modern research can function without animal testing. To mark this day of action and remembrance, observed worldwide on 24 April, the association’s local working groups, together with allied organisations, are organising 24 events in 23 cities across 3 countries, mostly on Saturday, 25 April.

The stark statistics say nothing about the animals’ actual suffering. Gerbils are subjected to electric shocks, mice have their ears burned, rats are deliberately made dependent on alcohol, and parts of fishes’ hearts are cut off. These current examples from Germany represent countless cruel experiments. Through a public online vote for the “Most Absurd Animal Experiment,” Doctors Against Animal Experiments is once again drawing attention to particularly disturbing cases—and bringing the reality behind closed laboratory doors into the public eye.

“Every animal used in experimentation is one too many,” emphasizes Dr Corina Gericke D.V.M., Deputy Chair of Doctors Against Animal Experiments. “Animal experiments cause extreme suffering and almost always end in the animals’ deaths. At the same time, they are scientifically flawed, as the results cannot be transferred to humans.”

The International Day for the Abolition of Animal Experiments is observed worldwide on 24 April to commemorate animals in laboratories. In addition to street actions, the organisation’s annual vote for its negative award takes place in the lead-up to the day of action. The organisation is also hosting an online lecture by biologist Julia Radzwill.

A particular highlight this year is the German premiere of the groundbreaking documentary “Future Science” on 25 April in Cologne, followed by a cinema tour through several German cities. The film features scientists who are successfully working in the field of innovative, animal-free research. “These technologies, such as multi-organ chips and 3D tissue printing, are based on human cells and are therefore—unlike animal experiments—directly relevant to humans,” explains Dr Gericke. During the premiere tour, the film’s director Marc Pierschel, along with featured participants and experts from the association, will be available for audience discussions after the screenings.

In light of the more than three million living beings that continue to suffer and die in Germany’s laboratories for what the association considers futile research, Doctors Against Animal Experiments is calling on the federal government to take decisive action and finally initiate the long-overdue paradigm shift toward sustainable, ethically justifiable, and human-relevant research.