Hannah was an animal lover; a talented equestrian who deeply cared for others, whether they be animals or humans. One of her key reasons for starting this amazing charity was to provide funding for cutting edge research, with the hope that we can beat osteosarcoma once and for all. Hannah’s Willberry Wonder Pony Charity (acting on behalf of Hannah) realises that this is no easy task and in order to do so we will have to use many different approaches including the use of cell lines, human tissue samples and computer models. After exhausting all of these options, and only where absolutely necessary, animal research (using mice) may be used for a small fraction of certain projects.

Each research project is run by the appropriate research organisation in accordance with their own policies. Whilst we hope to use human samples and cell lines for the majority of projects, due to the rarity of osteosarcoma, this may not always be possible due to the restricted availability of these samples. Any decisions to use animals in future HWWPC funded projects will be carefully evaluated, with both local and national regulations strictly adhered to, excellent health and welfare standards maintained, and the ‘3R’s’ followed at all times:

• Replace – use alternative techniques to avoid the use of animals
• Reduce – use the smallest amount of animals possible for the study
• Refine – improve animal welfare by modifying or developing techniques 

If you would like to donate to Hannah’s Willberry Wonder Pony Charity but specifically don’t want your money to be used for any research which involves animals, please let us know as your funds can be directed to other aspects of the charity.

We realise that many medical advances that we rely on and now possibly take for granted (painkillers, antibiotics, blood transfusions, vaccinations or asthma medicine) could not have been achieved without animal research.

We are committed to #kickingcancersbutt and we are committed to finding a cure for this horrible disease. Your support is hugely valued.