Vaccines for rabies and distemper, treatments for heartworm, therapies for cholera in hogs and preventive techniques for tuberculosis in cattle are now all available because of animal research. Animal research has also been integral to the preservation of many endangered species. Experiments are repeated to verify research, amplify existing knowledge, and to improve techniques for existing procedures and therapies. However, there is little or no waste. Because of competition for scarce research funding, only the highest priority projects are undertaken.
Most animals experience no or only minimal pain or brief discomfort in research.
Nearly all research, approximately 94 percent, either does not involve pain or uses analgesics or anesthesia. However, some research, about six percent, involves some pain to animal, primarily in the area of pain research itself. Pain is a significant medical problem and work continues into drugs and treatments to help alleviate the effects of arthritis, headaches, cancer and angina, for example. Researchers are no different from other people in their attitudes toward animals. Scientists are concerned about their research animals, both for humane reasons and because healthy test animals are necessary for valid research results.