In 1985, the National Science Board added a question about animal research to its regular survey of public attitudes toward science. Respondents were asked if they agreed or disagreed with the statement: Scientists should be allowed to do research that causes pain and injury to animals like dogs and chimpanzees if it produces new information about health problems. This is a deliberately loaded question in that the animal species cited are high status, but the research is proposed to provide new information relevant to health care. The results are given in Table 1. Other polls have indicated that the public is more opposed to the use of dogs and chimpanzees than rats.

Additional polls have shown that about 65% of the public supports the use of animals in research and an additional 10% accepts the practice (some with reservation). Support for the use of animals changes according to the type of animal used and area of research. For example, in a 1985 poll commissioned by the National Association for Biomedical Research, 88% would accept the use of rats, but only 55% would accept the use of dogs. In the same poll, only 12% oppose the use of animals in medical research on cancer or diabetes, but 27% oppose the use of animals in allergy testing.

In another poll in Canada, undertaken in 1990, 60% opposed the use of animals to test cosmetics, but only 20% of the same sample opposed the use of animals to test medical products. The public is also concerned about the treatment of research animals and a majority supports a strengthening of federal regulations and the development and promotion of alternatives.