By an 8-2 margin, the Everett City Council voted to ban animal testing in the city at its meeting Monday night.
Councillor Stephanie Martins, one of the co- sponsors of the ordinance along with Councillors Al Lattanzi, Darren Costa, Wayne Matewsky, and Vivian Nguyen, opened the discussion, stating that “the ordinance is very simple and defines what an animal is, what a research facility is, and what an experiment is.”
“And that we don’t want any testing of animals in the City of Everett.”
Martins said the ordinance was written at the request of many Everett residents who had reached out to the Council to say, “no testing of any animal whatsoever.”
Martins said she was willing to adopt the concern of one of her colleagues and remove the description of a research facility from the ordinance.
Councilor Michael Marchese offered that Mayor Carlo DeMaria and his office, and the Community Development Department should speak on the issue before any vote is taken.
“I just can’t vote for it,” said Marchese. “This thing should go to the Mayor’s office and they should say, “it’s not going to hurt the deal – and you got me. We have a billion dollars worth of development that we’re just saying no to.”
Councilor-at-Large Stephanie Smith also suggested that the matter be referred to the Mayor’s office, but ultimately rescinded her motion to do that.
Councilors Smith and Marchese voted against the ordinance. Councilors Irene Cardillo, John Hanlon, and Richard Dell Isola joined the co-sponsors of the ordinance in voting to ban animal testing in the city.
Rogers, PETA praise
City Council for its vote
Everett resident Katy Rogers, who was instrumental in bringing the animal-testing ban issue into the spotlight and spoke at Council meetings in favor of its passage, praised the Council for its vote.
“I am extremely proud of the City Council for their stance on keeping Everett a cruelty-free community,” said Rogers. “With modern alternatives, Everett has ample opportunity to embrace a future in sciences that do not include animal testing.”
PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) issued a statement from its neuroscientist, Dr. Emily Trunnell, regarding the City Council’s vote to ban animal testing laboratories in the city. Following is that statement:
“PETA congratulates Stephanie Martins, the other members of the city council, and the residents of Everett for banning all experiments on animals in their community. No doubt, many localities will follow the city’s progressive lead by voting to keep the oppression and cruelty of animal laboratories out of their areas. As PETA scientists’ Research Modernization Deal shows, experiments on animals are failing to help humans and can be replaced right now with human-relevant methods. Modern, animal-free science is kinder, safer, and far more effective.”