In the 17th century, many thinkers, following Descartes, thought animals were machines.

Not too many people today would think such a barbarity. Yet often dogs and other animals are still treated as if they were nothing more than organic contraptions to be used as we see fit.

Much of the research benefits humans and sometimes even other dogs. But much of it is wasted and easily replaced by humane, cruelty-free alternatives.

The extent of the present cruelty exceeds the imagination.  More than 65,000 dogs suffer in U.S. labs every year.

And dogs are just a small percentage of the 820,000 animals used for research each year, with Guinea Pigs topping the list.

Cruel research is a problem for many species, but it is more repugnant in the case of dogs. During the last 30,000 years dogs and humans have co-evolved, so that today dogs can be highly valued members of our families or work along side of us.

Where do they come from?

Some are purchased from shelters in a practice called ‘pound seizure’. Most are purpose-bred, meaning they are bred for the testing.

Sometimes they are bred for specific diseases, so they’ll be better test subjects in experiments on those diseases.

Most of them are killed once they are no longer useful.

How are they treated?

They are kept in cages, sometimes for years, often without getting out to exercise. Cages are stacked up. Sometimes with two dogs per cage. Dogs sleep in their own urine and feces, a condition dogs find odious. They may be infested with worms, have sores all over their body, decaying or infected teeth, etc. Usually receiving little or no veterinary care.

For heart studies, they may be forced to run on a treadmill until they have a heart attack. Then they are killed so their heart tissue can be examined.

They may be bred for muscular dystrophy or other diseases. Toxicology experimenters give dogs toxic substances to see how much they can withstand.

The victims try all kinds of extreme measures to escape their fate. In large labs, dogs, who have very sensitive hearing, must endure the hellish noise from thousands of dogs screaming from the torture.

A lab like Marshall BioResources in North Rose, NY, for example, has almost 23,000 dogs. People report that the sound and smell are unbearable, even from outside. Many experiments test the limits of endurance of the poor dogs. The limit is defined by their time of death and the dose of the noxious substance.

These experiments are reminiscent of Dr. Mengele’s experiments at Auschwitz in which he would put captured airmen into freezing water until they died. Then he would look at his stop watch to see how long it took them to freeze to death. Supposedly this told him how long crashed airmen could survive in the North Sea before being rescued.

Which kinds of dogs do they use?

They use many breeds, but the favorite by far is the beagle. They are prized by experimenters for their size, docility, and trust of humans.

In an ironic twist, these dogs are rewarded for being great companion animals by being exploited without regard for their feelings.

Is there any regulation?

Not really. The Animal Welfare Act was written to protect dogs and other selected animals, but the protection it offers is minimal.

Enforcement has been lax to non-existent for years and has been especially weak in recent years.

Is anything being done?

Organizations like PETA and the Humane Society stage undercover inspections and raids, followed by exposing conditions and practices to the public. They usually go after the worst offenders. Often these labs cease operations the next day.

How beneficial is this research?

Much of it is unnecessry either because it doesn’t work or because there are alternative procedures that are less cruel.

For example, according to the NIH, 95% of the drugs that passed animal tests, including on beagles, fail on humans. And 99.6% of the drugs developed with animal testing for Alzheimer’s fail human trials. With results like this, why do they do it?

One researcher said these tests were “a cliff over which people push bales of money.”

Available Alternatives

Cell cultures. You grow human and animal cells in the lab and perform your trials with these cells rather than live organisms.

They are being used and they work well.

Donated human tissues. Volunteers, donations from cosmetic surgery, and post-mortem donations are some of the ways to obtain these tissues.

It is now widely done and works well.

Computer models. Modeling is steadily improving. Various organs, systems, and physiological processes can be modeled.

Some of these models have already been constructed and are yielding functional results.

Volunteers. New methods allow for human trials with minimal risk, thanks to breakthroughs in monitoring devices.

Over the years, many doctors and others have been volunteering to test new treatments, frequently with breakthrough results. Now it can be done more safely. 

Most of these methods work better, offer faster results, and cost less to use.

And best of all, they spare a lot of needless suffering.

What can you do?

Support organizations that oppose animal testing. Their operations are very effective.

Work with community groups to get them involved. Dog lovers, for example, would be really sensitive to the needless suffering of dogs.

Work with your political representatives and let them know you care. You can be sure the labs have lobbyists working for them. Provide an opposing force.