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Statement From Professor Marc Bekoff on Animal Experimentation While people might disagree about whether or not to use nonhuman
animals in invasive research that is designed solely to help human
animals (or, for that matter, to use animals in any sorts of research)
and whether or not sentience is the key criterion that should be used in
making such decisions, there is no doubt that some of the treatment to
which innumerable (uncountable) animals are subjected cause deep and
enduring pain and suffering and often death (as in terminal
experiments). It's "bad biology" to rob animals of their cognitive and
emotional capacities. Evolutionary continuity, a well-accepted principle
of evolutionary biology put forth by Charles Darwin, recognizes that
differences among animals are difference in degree rather than
differences in kind. So, if we have emotions and experience pain and
suffering, so too do other animals. This is certainly true of our
closest biological relatives, non-human primates. Billions of animals annually are treated inhumanely in a wide variety
of venues. In research laboratories procedures such as depriving animals
of water and food, restraining them physically and bolting devices to
their heads, isolating them socially, forcing them to endure painful
and inescapable shock, and exposing them to diseases with symptoms such
as: fever, weight loss, and diarrhea obviously can and would cause pain
and/or distress in any species, including non-human primates. Wherever animals are used it is necessary to have constant inspection
of what is happening behind closed doors by those who have no vested
interest in the research project. Detailed reports must be compiled and
made available so that people can see what is happening so that
scientists realize that they cannot operate under the guise that what
they're doing is "in the name of science" and that nonscientists simply
won't or can't understand "how science is done." This sort of arrogance
is unacceptable. What some scientists call "good welfare" isn't "good enough." "Good
welfare" and allowable research according to existing regulations permit
mice to be shocked and otherwise harmed, rats to be starved or
forced-fed, pigs to be castrated without anesthetics, cats to be
blinded, dogs to be shot with bullets, and primates to have their brains
invaded with electrodes. Only about 1 percent of animals used in
research in the United States are protected by legislation, and the
legislation is sometimes amended in nonsensical ways to accommodate the
"needs" of researchers. The desperation of science to rob animals of
their sentience, despite what science has discovered, is astounding as
well as disheartening and self-serving. There is growing disillusionment in the enterprise/business of
science and people around the world are increasingly concerned about how
animals are treated in research laboratories and in other venues. The
public must be informed about what types of harm are inflicted on
animals and to weigh in on whether such projects are permissible. "Good
welfare" isn't "good enough" and we must change our ways now, not later
when it is convenient to do so. Marc Bekoff is a former Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
at the University of Colorado, Boulder, and co-founder with Jane Goodall
of Ethologists for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (
www.ethologicalethics.org
). He has won many awards for his scientific research including the
Exemplar Award from the Animal Behavior Society and a Guggenheim
Fellowship. Marc is a prolific writer with more than 200 articles as
well three encyclopedias to his credit. The author or editor of numerous
books, including the Encyclopedia of Animal Rights and Animal
Welfare, The The Ten Trusts: What We Must Do to Care for the Animals We
Love (with Jane Goodall), the Encyclopedia of Animal Behavior, and the
Encyclopedia of Human-Animal Relationships, other books include
The Smile of a Dolphin, Minding Animals, The Cognitive Animal, Animal
Passions and Beastly Virtues: Reflections on Redecorating Nature, The
Emotional Lives of Animals, Listening to Cougar, and Animals Matter.
In 2005 Marc was presented with The Bank One Faculty Community Service
Award for the work he has done with children, senior citizens, and
prisoners. His homepage
http://literati.net/Bekoff. See also:
Governnment Grants Promoting Cruelty to Animals
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