The Ethics of Animal Use in Scientific Research

 While researchers have attributed animal research to a number of ground breaking developments in medicine, animal rights groups continue to oppose the practice. Festing and Wilkinson argue that animal research is essential for the advancement of medical research and therefore the improvement of people’s quality of life.

Animal research results in increased understanding on the nature of various diseases which results in scientific advances that improve the quality of life for human beings. Opponents of animal research overlook this and blindly declare that animal experimentation is both cruel and unnecessary. These groups who include animal rights extremists and anti-vivisectionists refuse to see the negative consequences that would result from abolition of all animal research and continue to call for its total abolition.

Festing and Wilkinson declare that responsible scientists do not want to use animals unnecessarily or cause them suffering when it can be avoided. Animal research only occurs when it is unavoidable and even then, within a well established ethical framework. The article reveals that the UK is the country with the most comprehensive ethical framework which has been made into law.

This framework as articulated in Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 requires that all research which involves animals be fully assessed for harm that will occur to animals before the proposed research is approved. From this assessment, a conclusion is drawn of whether the potential benefits of the research outweigh the harmful effects to animals.

The UK also introduced local controls in 1998 which are aimed at promoting good animal welfare and ensuring that animal research is justified. These local controls which are embodied in an Ethical Review Process provide independent ethical advice for example where projects are applying for licenses.

The review process also promotes more awareness of animal welfare issues by both the scientific and general population. Application of replacement, reduction and refinement (generally referred to as the 3Rs) is also promoted by this Ethical Review Process.