Can Medical Research on Animals be Justified?

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Despite the billions of animals killed each year in laboratories worldwide, most countries have few laws that govern the conduct of an experiment, limit what animals are forced to endure, or prevent the duplication of painful experiments. In the U.S., three of the most commonly used species in laboratory experiments (birds, mice, and rats) are specifically exempted from even the minimal protections of the federal Animal Welfare Act. Laws that do exist are primarily housekeeping regulations that deal with cage size and cleaning, but don’t prevent the most horrific of procedures. Furthermore, these laws are poorly enforced. A PETA undercover investigation of a Covance company pharmaceutical testing laboratory revealed that employees hit, screamed at, and slammed monkeys against cages and walls. Following PETA’s complaint, the U.S. Department of Agriculture fined Covance for multiple violations of the Animal Welfare Act, including depriving animals of veterinary care, inadequate housing for dogs and monkeys, denying pain relief to animals subjected to painful procedures, and more. This isn’t exactly right, as these animals are covered by NIH Guide but not federal law.

Similar gaps exist in the oversight system in Canada, which has no federal legislation governing the care or use of animals in laboratories. In place of such legislation is a loose patchwork of provincial legislation and national guidelines that makes it possible for certain types of laboratories in some provinces to function without any external oversight.