Brandon Keim, “What Do We Owe Lab Animals?” The New York Times, January 23, 2023 (updated, January 24, 2023)
- In debates, people tend to be "for or against" the use of non-human animals in research. But perhaps we could "give back" to research animals or their kin for their sacrifices.
- That is, could we add a fourth "R" -- repay -- to the traditional three of replace, reduce, and refine?
- One route towards repayment (and one that sometimes is employed today) is to provide excellent conditions for animals after they have been research subjects, perhaps by placing them in sanctuaries or adopting them as pets.
- For animals who do not survive their use in research, such ex post payback schemes are not available. Nonetheless, some research centers do memorialize animals who gave their lives in experiments.
- And though the sacrificed animals cannot be compensated, aid to their living conspecifics -- donating to a sanctuary, for instance -- could be an alternative.
- Another route (perhaps a subset of "refinement,") is to fund better living conditions for lab animals. "Some experts offered that a portion of drug revenues or research grants could be earmarked for this purpose."
- Subsidizing animal-free testing methods -- replacement -- might also be a way of giving back, one that holds the potential to eventually end the exploitation of animals for research.
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