Using animals for research

Paper plans

• Make sure you number the parts of your answer--1, 2, 3. Resubmit if you didn't.
• The grade is just based on whether you met the paper-plan requirements, not on the quality of the plan.
• I will tell you if a revision is needed and give you comments to use in doing your revision.
• If no revision is needed you'll get a 5 on both the plan and the revised plan.

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Francione follow-up

• He says: property status is the biggest threat to animals
• And: animal protection laws ineffective as long as animals are property

Animal cruelty laws

• US map
• Texas animal cruelty law

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Using animals for research

1. Today: what's going on in labs, how are they regulated (Singer, other sources)
2. Monday: is the research justifiable? (Singer, others, Larry Carbone)

Singer, ALN ch. "Tools for Research....no it's not all about saving human lives"

• worldwide, roughly 200 million animals killed for research annually
• worldwide, roughly 80 billion mammals and birds killed for food annually
• .25% of total killed for research

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Singer: a lot of this research causes extreme suffering for animals and little benefit for humans (p. 30-73)

1. psychopathology experiments
2. product and drug testing
3. medical research

Psychopathology experiments--must induce mental illness in the animals, so the misery is the point

• "monkey models of mental illness" (Steve Suomi) -- PETA whistleblower video -- what was the point?
• maternal deprivation (Harlow & Suomi) -- 1950s show about Harlow (6:00 - )
• abuse (Harlow & Suomi), quote on p. 38
• depression  (Harlow & Suomi) -- the well of despair
• learned helplessness experiments (Seligman) -- shuttleboxes
• PTSD experiments -- a schedule of stresses (p. 52)

Singer discusses these problems and others:

1. Extrapolation from animals to humans (discuss Monday)
2. Telling us what we already know, endless repetition
3. Could learn from existing pathology in orphaned and abused animals and people

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Medical research (Singer, p. 67-73)

• inducing mental shock by hemorrhaging dogs (can't extrapolate)
• inducing alcohol addiction in dogs (can't extrapolate)

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Research through the eyes of its defenders

• Tour of an animal lab--Dr. John Young
• transparency strategy--don't let PETA be the only one to tells the publlc what's going on in animal labs
• like state fair showing farrowing stalls
• Americans for Medical Progress

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Regulations

Singer (p. 85-94)

The Animal Welfare Act: overview and lab animal highlights (we'll read)

• Lab animals: applies, but not to mice, rats, birds, cold-blooded animals 
• Farm animals: doesn't apply except during transportation; doesn't apply to rodeos
• Zoos and aquariums: applies to warm-blooded animals, doesn't apply to birds
• marine mammals (p. 196, p. 213) 
• You can file a complaint
• Pets: applies to those in pet stores and during transport

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Critique of Animal Welfare Act

1. Doesn't cover mice and rats, which are most of the lab animals
2. Regulates HOW experiments are done, not WHICH are done
3. Does NOT require a balance between harm to animals and benefit to humans
4. IACUCs rubber-stamp proposals

Regulations are tighter in Europe

• They do require balancing of harm and benefits
• No cosmetic testing
• No sales of cosmetic products tested on animals