Most are aware that CAAT has a research grants program, but few are familiar with effort in areas of public education or validation and what these entail. Few understand that CAAT provides forums in which those in the lay and scientific communities whose major goal is reduction of animal use may interact with those in the scientific community whose goal is understanding biology and disease. Many do not know CAAT as a modulating influence in the animals rights debate, in which extreme emotionalism and lack of rational though are too often major players. Few realize that CAAT supports the use of alternatives to whole animals in toxicity testing only when such alternatives have been validated scientifically and are consonant with protection of the public's health. Most are unaware of its focus on efforts to inform the public about the uses and limitations of alternatives in product safety testing and why animals currently are used to answer toxicological and scientific questions that impact on public health.
Few academicians conduct research with the goal of identifying replacements for animal use.
Rather, their efforts focus on understanding fundamental biological processes and mechanisms of disease, including toxicoses, and on discovering ways to prevent or treat disease. As a group, academicians recognize the need for employing animals in the processes of understanding and discovery. When an in vitro biological system is employed by academic researchers, it is usually because it is deemed to be more appropriate experimentally than a whole animal model to address a specific scientific question. My academic colleagues conduct their research responsibly, with concern about animal welfare, including appropriate use and care of animals. Most bristle at the suggestion that responsible use of animals in research is wrong.