Poll Shows Researchers Favor Lab Animal Protection

Two surveys of scientists and others who work with animals (involved with Institutional Animal Care and Use Committees at 50 universities) in a laboratory environment “suggest that most animal researchers favor [Animal Welfare Act] regulation of mice, rats, and birds.”

This article summarizes the results of two separate studies of lab researchers who are involved with animal testing. Taken together, these studies imply that most animal researchers favor Animal Welfare Act (AWA) regulation of mice, rats, and birds.

The first survey was conducted among 565 members from a random sample of 50 college and university Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) members, resulting in 494 responses.

Respondents were asked “The Animal Welfare Act is a federal law that governs the use of animals in research. Regardless of the species now covered under the Animal Welfare Act, which of the following animals should, in your opinion, receive AWA protection when used for research?” Of the 486 responses to this question, the majority favored AWA coverage for mice, rats, and birds, including researchers involved in psychology, psycho-pharmacology, and behavioral neuroscience, which would be the most affected by the act.

A second study involved 158 self-identified animal researchers responding to a 1994 national survey of psychologists. The results of this study showed that 73% favored AWA coverage for rats and mice and 72% favored coverage for pigeons.