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| Thirty-seven institutions of higher learning have already signed the pledge. ©iStock.com
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College campuses across the country are pledging to help animals used in experiments. Want to learn more? Check out our list of frequently asked questions:
Q: What is the campus pledge?
A: The pledge is a commitment by a college or university to ensure that animals in their care will not experience severe and unrelieved pain or distress when used in research, teaching or testing.
The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) has so far contacted approximately 600 schools in the United States and asked them to sign the pledge.
Q: What is the goal of the pledge?
A: The goal is not only to prevent animals from experiencing severe and unrelieved suffering during all aspects of their care and use at institutions of higher learning, but also to encourage greater attention to the important issue of animal pain and distress.
Q: Why is it important that colleges and universities sign the pledge?
A: By signing the pledge, schools can demonstrate their commitment to preventing severe suffering of animals used in research. Pain and distress can have a profound impact not only on animal welfare but also the quality of the scientific results.
Q: Isn't it illegal to inflict severe and unrelieved pain and distress on animals used in research?
A: No. Although the two major laws that regulate the treatment of animals in research (the Animal Welfare Act and the Public Health Service Policy) call for researchers to minimize animal pain and distress, researchers are still allowed to carry out experiments that cause severe and unrelieved pain and distress to animals. For example, if a scientist feels that giving pain-relieving drugs to an animal might interfere with the results of the study, those drugs can be withheld.
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| By signing the pledge, schools can demonstrate a commitment to preventing severe animal suffering. ©iStock.com |
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Q: What kinds of experiments are performed on animals
at colleges and universities?
A: Colleges and universities conduct a wide variety of experiments on animals. Animals are infected with disease-causing microbes, surgically manipulated to simulate a stroke or heart attack, addicted to drugs, implanted with tumors, used to assess the toxicity or effectiveness of drugs or chemicals and manipulated genetically to simulate disorders. Some medical or veterinary schools also use healthy animals for surgical training.
Q: What are some examples of actual experiments that have been performed on animals
at colleges and universities?
A: These are two examples taken from university reports submitted to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA): 1) Chronic nerve injury in 30 rats is induced under anesthesia. No medications are given for post-operative pain, because they may compromise the objectives of the study. 2) 53 guinea pigs are decapitated without anesthesia to study their tissue response in an evaluation of a potential drug. Anesthesia cannot be used because it affects the response of the tissue.
Q: What causes animal "pain and distress" during experiments?
A: There are many procedures and situations that cause pain in animals. For example, scientists can induce a disease in an animal that mimics painful conditions (e.g. arthritis) or expose an animal to a hot plate to test their reaction to painful stimuli.
Distress in animals can be caused by chronic pain, inadequate housing, rough handling, or from experiments that deliberately cause stress in animals to test their reaction. For example, forcing an animal to swim until exhausted or to endure hot or cold temperatures or premature separation from their mother.
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| It is estimated that in the U.S. a total of 25 million animals are used every year in experiments.©iStock.com |
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Q: What species of animals are used in experiments at colleges and universities?
A: The animals used in experiments include dogs, cats, non-human primates (i.e. chimpanzees, monkeys), guinea pigs, rabbits, hamsters, pigs, cows, goats, chickens, sheep, mice, rats, and birds, as well as other species.
Q: How many animals are used in experiments at colleges and universities nationally?
A: It is estimated that in the U.S. a total of 25 million animals are used every year in experiments.
The exact number of animals used in experiments in the U.S. is not known because mice, rats, and birds bred for research are not protected by the Animal Welfare Act and therefore statistics on their use are not officially tabulated as they are for all other animals.
Q: How can I find out if my university uses animals in experiments?
A: Two government agencies keep lists of universities that use animals in research.
A list of research facilities currently registered with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) can be found on the USDA website [PDF]. The HSUS's interactive animal research facility map also uses USDA data to list facilities and animal use by state. Universities that conduct experiments on animals are required to register with the USDA; however universities that use only mice, rats, and/ or birds bred for research are not required to register with the USDA and are not be listed.
Universities that receive federal funding to conduct animal research are listed on the Public Health Service website.
If your university is not listed with either agency, it means that the university isn't receiving federal funding for animal research, is only using species not protected by the Animal Welfare Act, or that the university does not conduct research using animals.
Q: Which universities have already signed the pledge?
A: To date, thirty-seven institutions of higher learning have signed the pledge. Find out how your school responded at www.humanesociety.org/campuspledge.
Q: My school hasn't signed the pledge yet. What can I do?
A: Check out our online toolkit for ideas and resources that you can use to encourage your university to sign the pledge.
Q: What else can I do to help animals used in experiments?
A: To learn more about the issues that affect animals in research, testing and education, visit our Animals in Research homepage, which is frequently updated with the latest news. On the homepage you will also find a link to our Take Action page, which lists ways that you can actively help animals used in research experiments.
Updated May 1, 2009
