Most scientists use animals that are specially bred for research.
The animals most commonly used in research are rats, mice, and other rodents. These animals are bred for research, and scientists purchase them from animal breeders. Small numbers of other animals are used in research including pigs, sheep, other farm animals, dogs, cats, and primates.
Dogs, cats, and primates combined comprise less than 1% of research animals, and there are special rules about obtaining them for research. For example, primates from endangered or threatened species may not be caught from the wild and must therefore come from breeding colonies. The use of dogs and cats in research is governed by the federal Animal Welfare Act (AWA). The AWA requires that those who sell dogs and cats for research must be licensed and requires that research animals be given proper care. According to the USDA, the number of dogs and cats in research in 1996 is 60% lower than in 1973, the first year these statistics were collected. The National Association for Biomedical Research estimates that about half the dogs and cats used in research in 1996 were bred for research, and the other half were random source animals.
Researchers may buy purpose-bred animals from USDA-licensed breeders or raise them in their own breeding colonies. Purpose-bred animals tend to be young, share a common genetic background, and be small in size. These characteristics make them suitable for some kinds of research, but unsuitable for others. In particular, when scientists want to study heart disease, organ system failure, bone defects, or joint disorders, they need to use animals that are large, physiologically mature, or even elderly, and that represent a genetically diverse population. Every year, 6-10 million unwanted dogs and cats are killed in our nation’s pounds. Less than 1% of these animals would be needed to provide the random-source dogs and cats required for medical research.
The AWA permits scientists to obtain dogs and cats for research directly from pounds. Unfortunately, in many places, scientists cannot do so because animal activists have insisted on laws or policies forbidding this. In those cases, scientists must rely upon a second category of USDA-licensed dealers, who handle random-source animals. These dealers are allowed to purchase dogs and cats directly from their owners, from pounds, and from other USDA-licensed dealers. They must comply with special record-keeping and holding provisions to protect against pet theft and to give owners time to recover lost pets.
The USDA is diligent about enforcing these provisions. USDA inspectors use dealer’s records to check whether the person listed as the owner really did provide the animal. Over the last several years the USDA has issued steep fines against dealers whose records were incomplete or false, and several who were guilty of serious violations were put out of business. According to the March 1998 issue of the animal activist publication Animal People, these law enforcement efforts have “virtually halted thefts for laboratory use.”
No scientist would want to use someone’s pet, and the Animal Welfare Act has numerous provisions to make certain that pet dogs and cats do not accidentally end up as research subjects.