The Fur Factor: Ethics of Animal Testing

Animal testing has been through many phases throughout the years.  The present time is one in which animals aren’t used as frivolously as they were in the past.  “We need to make sure that we’re using animals in the most appropriate way,” said Joane Zurlo, Director of Science Strategy at Johns Hopkins Center for Alternatives to Animal Testing, explaining the increased focus on humane research.

Zurlo visited the University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC) classroom on Monday, February 11^th to give a talk on the modern day uses of animals in research.  “We’re learning more now about which animals are best for modeling specific diseases,” she said explaining why animals are still used for various tests. 

Zurlo went on to discuss The Three R’s of Animal Research proposed first by Russell and Burch in their book, The Principles of Humane Experimental Techniques.  The first is Replacement.  If the experiment can be done without animals, then the goal is to do it that way.  The second, Reduction, works to reduce the number of animals used within specific experiments.  The third is Refinement, and this principle demands the humane treatment of animals in the lab.

With these guidelines in place, science and ethics work together.  “Animal welfare and research go hand-in-hand,” Zurlo said.  Lab veterinarians are often responsible for taking care of the animals.  “Scientists will sometimes do research without ever seeing the animals.”

Zurlo advocates against this sort of mentality.  Although she believes that “benefit [from the experiment] and low harm to the animal makes it worth experimenting,” she feels that researchers should know the whole animal and not just the genetics.  The recognition of the living entity is important to being better able to follow the three R’s (Replacement, Reduction, and Refinement), but the question still remains: “How do you make advances in the scientific fields unless you have something to experiment on?”