More research labs are retiring monkeys when studies finish
Written by Carrie Antlfinger
Izzle, Timon, Batman, River and Mars spent years confined inside a lab, their lives devoted to being tested for the benefit of human health.
But these rhesus macaques have paid their dues and are now living in retirement — in larger enclosures that let them venture outside, eat lettuce and carrots, dip their fingers in colorful plastic pools, paint, and hang from pipes and tires — in relative quiet. Read more.
Group files animal-welfare complaint against Nationwide Children’s over pig
Written by JoAnne Viviano
An animal welfare group has asked the U.S. Department of Agriculture to investigate and fine the Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus over a pig that had to be euthanized in March after a surgery broke protocol in a federally funded project. Read more.
Animal Rights Groups Renew Legislative Push Against Animal Research
Written by Elizabeth Doughman
Two months ago, pressure from animal rights groups ended critical research involving cats at the United States Department of Agriculture. Now, these groups are continuing efforts to stop animal research, concentrating on non-human primate and canine studies and research techniques used for studying depression. Read more.
Opinion: Why the Recent Cat Fight Over the USDA’s Feline Research Should Worry All of Us
Written by Paula Clifford
The eye-catching headlines were hard to miss: “Lawmakers Introduce Bill to Ban Research Kitten ‘Slaughter,’” “USDA Turning Lab Cats Into Cannibals.” And the news stories that followed sounded more like science fiction than science.
So when the Department of Agriculture recently ended its feline studies in the face of public pressure, it likely surprised no one. But looking back, did government researchers fail us? Or perhaps, did we fail them? Read more.
Published April 22, 2019 by Inside Sources
Published April 24, 2019 by Jacksonville Journal – Courier
Opinion: Transparency Is Critical to Defend Animal Research
Written by Cindy Buckmaster
Wasteful, outdated, and unnecessary.
These are three of the most common claims voiced by animal rights groups about the use of animals in research. Are they accurate? Not in the least. Countless published papers and medical advancements demonstrate how animal studies lead to medical progress. But despite this reality, public opinion is no longer solidly behind science. Read more.
Humane Society Successfully Campaigns to End Pesticide Test on Dogs
Written by Shawna Williams
On March 12, the Humane Society of the United States released a report based on an undercover investigation of a lab in Michigan contracted by Dow Agrosciences (now Corteva Agriscience) to conduct toxicity testing on dogs. Just days later, on March 18, Corteva announced it had ended a test of a fungicide on dogs and would attempt to rehome the animals. But what appeared to be a swift victory for the Humane Society was, in fact, the product of a months-long campaign on two continents. Read more.
Developing an Elevator Speech for Discussing Animal Research
Written by Jim Newman
Everyone involved in the health research process fully understands the important role that animals play in the development of new and improved treatments and therapies. We also recognize there are various kinds of research. Some studies are designed to test new medications. Others expand our scientific knowledge and highlight promising new pathways for fighting disease. Read more.
Animals treated well
Written by Paula Clifford
Animal rights activists are working hard to end studies at Washington State University and other research universities that benefit humans and animals alike. However, in doing so, their efforts have actually helped reveal the many layers of oversight that ensure research animals are well cared for. Read more.
Transparency in Animal Research
Written by Elizabeth Doughman
Research involving laboratory animals has contributed to scientific and medical breakthroughs that benefit both humans and animals. Despite this fact, many researchers involved in laboratory animal science are hesitant to talk about what they do because they fear attracting negative attention from animal rights groups. Read more.
Animal Rights Group: Review of V.A. Dog Research Long Overdue
Research on dogs by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs is officially under review to determine whether the dogs are being treated humanely and if the program is necessary.
The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine is conducting the review after the animal rights group White Coat Waste Project launched a massive media campaign in 2017. It used information from public records requests to spotlight what it called “the mistreatment of puppies in painful heart attack studies.” Read more.