An estimated 4 animals die every second in experiments around the world.
Worldwide, over 115 million animals are used in research and testing, force-fed products to find out how much will kill them, infected with disease, burnt, blinded - all this, when we already know that each species responds differently to substances. Results of animal tests can be affected by the animal's age, diet, bedding materials, even the laboratory environment. Results have also been found to vary from laboratory to laboratory.
Artificially created diseases in laboratory animals as 'models' of human disease like arthritis, are not the same as the disease in the real world in humans, so can produce misleading results.
The research is generally conducted in secret, so the pain and suffering of these animals is not subjected to wider scientific and public scrutiny, and promotion of use of modern, advanced techniques.
Species used in regulatory (safety) testing and research include dogs, mice, rats, monkeys, fish and many more - UK government figures advise nearly 3 million animals are used each year.
In US laboratories alone, an estimated 15+ million animals are experimented on each year. Government figures show nearly 830,000 animals died including guinea pigs, dogs, cats, rabbits, hamsters, and monkeys, but many are shocked to learn that this excludes the use of birds, mice, and rats, who are estimated to be used for 95% of experiments.
We need to keep pressing our legislators for two measures:
- Mandatory adoption of advanced scientific non-animal methods such as cell culture, computer modelling, organ-on-a-chip, databases, clinical studies, and other technology.
- End the secrecy - introduce wider scientific scrutiny of proposals for animal use, so that human-relevant methods can be introduced.
In the time it has taken you to read to here, around 250 animals will have died in experiments, and we are unlikely to ever find out why. Let's end that secrecy.
Please contact your Congress members today.
Ask your friends and family to do so as well and help spread the word.