Only 3 percent of animals survive lab experiments (2023)

FAQs

Are only 5% of animals used in experiments protected by US law? ›

For the approximately 5% of animals in labs covered by the AWA, the law sets minimal standards for their housing, feeding, handling, and veterinary care, but does not prohibit any kind of experiment regardless of the amount of pain or distress it might cause.

More than 90% of basic scientific discoveries, most of which are from experiments on animals, fail to lead to human treatments.

Each year, more than 110 million animals—including mice, rats, frogs, dogs, cats, rabbits, hamsters, guinea pigs, monkeys, fish, and birds—are killed in U.S. laboratories for biology lessons, medical training, curiosity-driven experimentation, and chemical, drug, food, and cosmetics testing.

According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), just 8% of drugs tested on animals are deemed safe and effective for human use — 92% are not.

With the help of our members and supporters, PETA works globally to expose and end the use of animals in experiments. Some of our efforts include the following: Conducting groundbreaking eyewitness investigations and colorful advocacy campaigns to educate the public.

As of December 2022, ten states (California, Hawaii, Illinois, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Nevada, New Jersey, New York and Virginia) have passed laws banning cosmetics animal testing.

Most animals are killed at the end of an experiment, but some may be re-used in subsequent experiments. Here is a selection of common animal procedures: Forced chemical exposure in toxicity testing, which can include oral force-feeding, forced inhalation, skin or injection into the abdomen, muscle, etc.

The 90% figure has been used to imply that researchers have been wasting their time with pointless experiments on animals, but taken globally, a 10% success rate in biomedical research is still producing a remarkable number of long-term benefits and life-saving treatments for human patients.

Virtually everyone alive today has benefited from the medical advances made possible through animal research. Polio, smallpox, diphtheria, cholera and measles are no longer major threats to public health in the United States. Sophisticated diagnostic tests mean early treatment of cancer and heart disease.

As it turns out, the vast majority of animals - 97 percent - are killed at the end of experimentation. Just a small fraction of animals, 6,286 in total, were returned to nature or to their habitat.

Are animals always killed after testing? ›

What happens to the animals once an experiment is over? Animals are typically killed once an experiment is over so that their tissues and organs can be examined, although it is not unusual for animals to be used in multiple experiments over many years.

Imprecise results from animal experiments may result in clinical trials of biologically faulty or even harmful substances, thereby exposing patients to unnecessary risk and wasting scarce research resources. Animal toxicity studies are poor predictors of toxic effects of drugs in humans.

Animal tests do not reliably predict results in human beings. There is increasing demand for cruelty-free products. Most experiments involving animals are flawed, wasting the lives of the animal subjects. The Animal Welfare Act has not succeeded in preventing horrific cases of animal abuse in research laboratories.

The body count is unavoidable; an estimated 100 million lab mice and rats or more are killed every year in U.S. labs for the sake of science.

Most animals experience only minimal pain or brief discomfort when they are used in research.

Proponents of animal testing say that it has enabled the development of many life-saving treatments for both humans and animals, that there is no alternative method for researching a complete living organism, and that strict regulations prevent the mistreatment of animals in laboratories.

The harm that is committed against animals should not be minimized because they are not considered to be "human." In conclusion, animal testing should be eliminated because it violates animals' rights, it causes pain and suffering to the experimental animals, and other means of testing product toxicity are available.

Now, as of early January 2023, China has also stopped requiring post-market animal testing, and the country stopped using animals in these post-market tests, as well. This means that brands selling in China can ascertain cruelty-free status, in the eyes of Cruelty-Free Kitty.

"People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), with more than 2.0 million members and supporters, is the largest animal rights organization in the world."

The use of animals in experiments at leading federally-funded labs has increased nearly 73 percent in the past 15 years, according to a new study conducted by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA).

How is animal testing a waste of time? ›

It's wasteful.

Animal experiments prolong the suffering of humans waiting for effective cures because the results mislead experimenters and squander precious money, time, and other resources that could be spent on human-relevant research.

Failed animal models are the root cause of disappointing and diminishing returns on biomedical investments. Poorly designed preclinical animal studies lead to downstream expensive but fruitless clinical trials, exposing people to false hopes, potentially harmful drugs, or withheld beneficial treatments.

Studies that do not use animals can produce much valuable information, but they cannot completely replace the information gained from animal experiments. Only animals can demonstrate the effects of a disease, injury, treatment, or preventive measure on a complex organism.

Mice and rats make up approximately 95% of all laboratory animals, with mice the most commonly used animal in biomedical research.

Research in cows helped create the world's first vaccine, which in turn helped end smallpox. Studies with monkeys, dogs, and mice led to the polio vaccine. Drugs used to combat cancer, HIV/AIDS, Alzheimer's, hepatitis, and malaria would not have been possible without research with primates.

Since 1985 the use of animals has more than halved in the US. This includes a decrease in the number of dogs from over 200,000 in 1979, to around 58,000 in 2019. Some of this decrease is likely to reflect a movement towards the use of genetically modified mice.

The Endangered Species Act: Enacted in 1973, the Endangered Species Act protects fish, mammals and birds – as well as plants – listed as threatened or endangered in the United States and beyond.

It is estimated that more than 50 million animals are used in experiments each year in the United States. Unfortunately, no accurate figures are available to determine precisely how many animals are used in experiments in the U.S. or worldwide.

The Animal Welfare Act (AWA) was signed into law on August 24, 1966. It is the only Federal law in the United States that regulates the treatment of animals in research, teaching, testing, exhibition, transport, and by dealers. The Act is enforced by USDA , APHIS , Animal Care.

According to the federal Animal Welfare Act (AWA), animals that are used in testing are owed proper housing, treatment, veterinary care, food and water.

What state has the loosest animal laws? ›

Humans are harmed because of misleading animal testing results. Imprecise results from animal experiments may result in clinical trials of biologically faulty or even harmful substances, thereby exposing patients to unnecessary risk and wasting scarce research resources.

State Animal Protection Laws Ranked: Maine is #1, New Mexico #50 - Animal Legal Defense Fund.

As it turns out, the vast majority of animals - 97 percent - are killed at the end of experimentation. Just a small fraction of animals, 6,286 in total, were returned to nature or to their habitat.

Is Animal Testing Cruel? Due to the combination of low accuracy and high amounts of pain, it is difficult to argue that animal testing is not cruel. Animals such as rats, mice, dogs and chimpanzees are burned, poisoned, crippled, starved or abused in other ways via drugs, confinement or other invasive procedures.

Yet animals' rights are violated when they are used in research because they are not given a choice. Animals are subjected to tests that are often painful or cause permanent damage or death, and they are never given the option of not participating in the experiment.

Animal testing by manufacturers seeking to market new products may be used to establish product safety. In some cases, after considering available alternatives, companies may determine that animal testing is necessary to assure the safety of a product or ingredient.

The harmful use of animals in experiments is not only cruel but also often ineffective. Animals do not naturally get many of the diseases that humans do, such as major types of heart disease, many types of cancer, HIV, Parkinson's disease or schizophrenia.

1938: The United States Food, Drug & Cosmetic Act is signed into law, requiring some safety substantiation of cosmetic products.