Animal Research
Safe. Humane. Ethical. Effective. Working together to improve lives for humans and animals
What is Animal Research? (Hint: It’s Not Testing)
Animal research is everywhere, from amateur to scientific. When conducted in a clinical setting, it is simply the study of animals for scientific and medical discovery.
This ranges from studying wildlife to developing treatments for diseases in lab animals and pets. Through this observational and theoretical research, we can understand how things work. And that understanding is the first step toward cures.
See some of the organizations that participate in animal research
How Animal Research Benefits Everyone
All research is designed to foster knowledge and improve human and animal health. By supporting real science, we are able to generate real results. Animal research is evidence-based, clinical care that is outcome-oriented.
- Treat disease and disorders
- Ease pain and suffering
- Extend lifetimes
- Create safe medicines, medical devices, surgical procedures and therapies
By working together, we can save lives. Animal research benefits everyone.
Animal Research Myths vs. Reality
This Story Changed My Mind About Dogs In Research
Did you know that for the past five years the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign has received more funding from the National Science Foundation than any other university? After spending two years there, and the last seven months working as a public affairs...
The First FDA-Approved Ebola Vaccine: Another Animal Research Victory
On Thursday, December 19, 2019, the FDA announced the approval of Ervebo, the first FDA-approved vaccine for the prevention of the Ebola virus disease. The new vaccine protects against the Zaire species of Ebola virus, which is responsible for more than 11,000 deaths...
The Flu Vaccine: Another Animal Research Victory
It’s that time of year again where the threat of the flu hangs in the air and people scramble to their local pharmacies to get their annual flu shot. Did you know this life-saving vaccine was created thanks to animal research? In 1918 and 1919, the Spanish Influenza...
“Each of us is touched by illness and disease — from the basic flu to mental illness and cancer — and all of us face the threat of the next epidemic. Medical research is about hope. It brings new therapies and the prospect of a better, healthier future. It is important to invest in science — and to recognize the crucial role that animal research plays in making medical breakthroughs.”
—Claire Pomeroy, MD
FBR Board Chair
Lasker Foundation President
Infectious disease physician
How Animal Research Helps Humans
Humans are animals. We all have so much in common with animals we see every day. Because of that, injuries and diseases work in much the same ways. In studying and researching animals, we can understand ourselves much better.
See how ethical research into these animals is vital to improving human life.
- Rats and mice
- Cats
- Dogs
- Nonhuman primates
- Zebrafish and more
How Animal Research Helps Animals
Animal research is not just for humans. By understanding how disease and injuries work and spread in animals, we can
- Help scientists save animals from extinction
- Develop veterinary treatments for pets and livestock
- Understand injuries and treatment
- Improve the lives of animals and humans through vaccinations and treatments for diseases.
- Extend pet and livestock lifespan
- Extend pet and livestock quality of life
The Ethics of Animal Research
The research community supports animal welfare and works to guarantee the health and well-being of all animals. Through rigorous control, important safeguards, and a dedication to a shared common good, the research community protects the animals we need to create better health outcomes.
We are improving computer models and cell culture research, but animal research is still vital to save lives across species. It is needed to improve the common good.
Did You Know Animal Research Helps Animals, Too?
The Clinical Importance of Pet Trials
We learn more about animal health from other animals. Every year, thousands of people just like you volunteer their pets for vital research into behavior and animal health, including the removal of cancerous tumors to save pet lives. In doing so, they help us protect more and more pets, and more people.
The success of pet trials remind us again that we’re all in this together.
Questions? We Hear You
We know that animal research can be controversial, and can make people uncomfortable. That’s why we support research into future alternatives. And while right now there is no way to avoid animal and human research, we know there are questions.
Here are some answers, and we encourage you to contact us to learn more.
