Using animals for biomedical research has long been a source of outrage for those who are against subjecting live creatures to painful and traumatizing experiments. While this form of research has conventionally been deemed necessary by the medical field, advances in science and technology, as well as a growing awareness of the ethical issues surrounding animal experimentation, are spearheading a move towards new approaches.
Recently, an esteemed group of eight experts from the fields of medicine, ethics, the sciences, and public health outlined an innovative and revolutionary roadmap to a more ethical research framework for humans and other animals. They covered both existing problems and potential solutions during a virtual panel discussion, “Transforming Medical Research: Advancing Modern, Ethical Methods to Help People and Animals”, hosted by Phoenix Zones Initiative, a non-profit that promotes justice for both humans and animals.
EXISTING ISSUES
- Hundreds of millions of animals are used each year for laboratory research.
- Animals are targeted because of their vulnerabilities.
- Animal welfare failures have completely upended the integrity of science.
- Holding animals captive leads to measurable physiological changes in the brain and immune function.
- There is unequivocal evidence that animals in captivity that undergo testing suffer extreme trauma.
POTENTIAL SOLUTIONS
- We need 21st century science to address 21st century needs.
- We have an arsenal of human biology-based methods that eliminate the need for animal testing.
- Non-animal technologies could put an end to enormous suffering for both animals and humans.
- We need to acknowledge that captivity is harmful to animals and that they want and require freedom.
- We must engage in a global reassessment of how, why, and whether we harm other animals.
- Those seeking change must recognize that they too are intrinsically part of the problem.
- We must abandon the human supremacy and human exceptionalism that informs our attitudes about the use of animals.
- We must make a solid commitment to embrace the medical advancements of the 21st century.
- We need a Belmont Report for animals
Watch the panel discussion in its entirety.
AUTHOR PROFILE
IVC Journal is a division of Redstone Media Group. Innovation is the key to veterinarians staying competitive and being able to provide their clients with the absolute best care possible. IVC Journal delivers the most up to date and compelling information available by bridging the gap between the traditional worlds of allopathic and integrative veterinary care.
