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In Reference To Animal Testing

The term animal testing refers to any use of non-human animals in scientific experimentation, with an estimation of 50 to 100 million vertebrate animals used on a global basis annually. Somewhat of an unregulated field, there are actually much larger numbers used, counting insects such as flies or worms, which are not included in the statically gathered numbers for data purposes.

The small animal research laboratories are on the rise across our country with each state having its own rules and regulations for the protection of the animals involved. Whether they are practiced or not, depends on the organization and the follow-up by the state. For example, at the University of California at Irvine, the Office of Research has key principles governing the ethical use of animals in research, testing and teaching: no animal life is wasted; the number of animals used in each project must be the minimum necessary in order to obtain valid and meaningful results; and the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) is required to review the number of animals requested in each protocol and agree the number is appropriately justified. (1)

Outsourcing Labs Overseas

Due to the amount of protestors and increasing laws, in 2006 Jehangir S. Pocha´s article, Few Rules and Fewer Protestors Draw Animal Testing to China states that because animal rights groups make it difficult for building or expanding drug companies that are involved with any animal testing laboratories in India, Europe and the United States, the companies are outsourcing their work to China where scientists are cheap and plentiful. Unfortunately, animal-rights protestors are strongly muffled by China´s authoritarian state which results in fewer rules for the protection of the animals within experimental labs.(2)

The trouble with sending experimental laboratories to outside countries, such as China, Siberia, northern Canada, and Greenland are many. One example is that they eat dog as an alternative meat source, for emergency meat consumption, and even for specific medicinal benefits. China has dog markets involving cages of dogs preparing to be slaughtered in the most inhumane of methods. Dogs are raised specifically for meat and butchered from age six months to a year. In the United States we have an increasing number of dogs/cats and other associated animals, which is why the laboratories have an ample supply to work with while seeking cures and treatment for the diseases of mankind. For this reason, it is better to keep the animal research laboratories in the United States and European countries where stronger regulations can be enforced for their protection by governmental laws, protestors, and watch-dog organizations in countries where it is allowed. Establishing preclinical testing labs in these countries will help the healthcare industry for newly developing cures and treatments, while maintaining the safety of the animals used in these experimental labs. It could be a win-win situation if handled correctly.

Growth Of The Animal Testing Industry

In the year 1948, animal testing in the United States was divided into four regional animal research laboratories: The Western Sheep Breeding Laboratories (Idaho); Regional Animal Disease Laboratory in Alabama; Regional Swine Breeding Laboratory with headquarters (Iowa); and the Regional Poultry Research Laboratory (Michigan). (3) Presently, the number of animal testing industries is moving into the central part of the United States where a plentiful amount of animals exist. Unfortunately, this is an area which has fewer people to raise concerns if a problem of animal abuse is suspected. Another problem is that these animal experimental labs are governmental top secret labs controlled by the government and the military, which is a problem in itself. This is a long ways from being the pharmaceutical laboratory testing done elsewhere or to develop new perfume or make-up. Yet the common denominator everywhere seems to be animal testing.

A bad situation, unfortunately it is still better than sending the labs to China or another country where no restrictions at all prevail and their lives are made much worse. There are growing disciplines regarding biomedical ethics which have to do with all laboratory animals. Involved with pharmaceutical companies, university research laboratories, medical programs, governmental programs, and military programs, there seems to be a growing awareness of the moral framework regarding the governing of their attitudes and behavior. Out of this, we need to be aware that of the combined public and private funding accounted for in the U.S., over $40 billion dollars of biomedical research is practiced on an annual basis. Picketing with protestors against animal labs is not how to win the war—educating ourselves with facts will generate enough heat to clarify the rights and wrongs of animal experimentation, changing laws and protecting all levels of life regarding animal experimentation should be the goal. By making it so difficult these companies will move out of country, and believe me they will, is not the answer even though we as a society do believe in out of sight-out of mind.

RESEARCH INFORMATION: (1) Office of Research: University of Californian at Irvine. Website used on December 20, 2008-- http://www.research.uci.edu/ora/acup/animalnumbers.htm. Recent update on website date: May 12, 2008 (2) Pocha, Jehangir S. (2006). International Herald Tribune, the Global Edition of the New York Times. Few rules and fewer protesters draw animal testing to China. Website used on December 20, 2008-- http://www.iht.com/articles/2006/11/27/business/dogs.php . Recent update on article is November 27, 2006. (3) Journal of Animal Science (1945). Accomplishments of the Regional Animal Research Laboratories . Website used December 20, 2008-- http://jas.fass.org/cgi/content/abstract/4/2 . Recent update on article is: J. Anim Sci. 1945. 4:96-97.