Does animal research produce cures?

May 4th 2021Allyson J. Bennett and Marcello Rosa The answer to this question is yes.  So why do some groups and individuals opposed to animal research and testing argue no? Simply put, the answer to the question depends on where you focus  in the timeline of scientific advances that lead to medical progress. If you … Continue reading Does animal research produce cures?

#FactCheckNeeded: Non-human animals cannot have a gender identity

April 14th 2021Kelsey Lewis, Allyson J. Bennett, Sangy Panicker, Amanda M. Dettmer, Jeremy D. Bailoo & Justin Varholick A group of individuals, many of them self-identified as being opposed to animal research, recently signed an open letter to the Associated Press asking that animals with unknown sex be assigned "he/she" or "they" gender pronouns. These … Continue reading #FactCheckNeeded: Non-human animals cannot have a gender identity

#FactCheckNeeded: How are mice and rats accounted for in the balance of science, medicine, and animal welfare?

Faulty assumptions lead to faulty conclusions. Jeremy D. Bailoo, Sangy Panicker & Allyson J. Bennett January 12th 2021 A new entry in the seemingly eternal quest for universal adoption of European approaches to the regulation of research animals appeared today in the journal Scientific Reports. The author, US veterinarian Larry Carbone, estimates from a sample … Continue reading #FactCheckNeeded: How are mice and rats accounted for in the balance of science, medicine, and animal welfare?

#FactCheckNeeded: Is the use of animals for research declining in the EU?

February 19th 2020 You may have read recently or seen on social media platforms that, “the use of animals in scientific research seems to be declining in the European Union….” and accordingly, that this is due to the “EU tough regulations” that are “designed to protect research animals.” At first blush, these claims seem reasonable … Continue reading #FactCheckNeeded: Is the use of animals for research declining in the EU?

#FactCheckNeeded: What irresponsible journalism fails to mention about the Forced Swim Test

January 23rd 2020 It’s tempting to say that we live in an age of misinformation, but hasn’t it always been thus? For many years false claims were expressed in books and magazines or orally, in situations where no-one could whip out a phone and fact check what they were hearing. Most of this has just jumped … Continue reading #FactCheckNeeded: What irresponsible journalism fails to mention about the Forced Swim Test

#FactCheckNeeded. A closer look at exaggerated claims about US bill and animal research impacts

January 17th 2020 In late December headlines appeared suggesting that the US has passed legislation to significantly compromise the use of animals in federally-funded research. For example: "Federal spending bill includes historic effort to curb government animal tests" -- Washington Examiner “Update: Trump signs omnibus funding package with wins for horses and burros, companion animals, … Continue reading #FactCheckNeeded. A closer look at exaggerated claims about US bill and animal research impacts

Is Animal Research Worth the Expense?

Certain government lobby groups, such as the White Coat Waste (WCW) Project, appear intent on casting scientists (the “white coats”) and the importance of their scientific work in a disparaging light. By focusing only on what they refer to as "wasted taxpayer money", they ignore the very real scientific and human health progress that results … Continue reading Is Animal Research Worth the Expense?