February 24, 2010

Reducing Government-Sanctioned Animal Testing

Working with the Environmental Protection Agency to reduce the number of animals harmed in tests

Take Action   |   Q&A: Pesticides   |   Q&A: Endocrine Disrupters   |   Q&A: Chemicals  

Every year, thousands of rabbits, dogs, guinea pigs and other animals are forcibly exposed to toxic chemicals, pesticides and other substances at the request of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)—the federal agency responsible for protecting human health and the environment from pollutants.

Everyone agrees that it’s necessary to determine how safe—or unsafe—these substances are for humans and to design laws and regulations to keep pollutants from harming people.

But in the 21st century, protecting humans shouldn't require harming animals.

Recently, the EPA has begun calling for a new wave of animal tests to be implemented. These tests would identify “endocrine disrupting” substances, which are thought to interfere with the body’s hormone system.

But instead of using existing test results, the EPA is ordering companies to perform nearly a dozen new animal tests. These tests will quite often duplicate existing test results and will require that thousands more animals are required to test toxic substances.

Meanwhile, alternative approaches are being pioneered by scientists developing high-tech computer models and robot-automated cellular tests that could replace animal testing.

Please join us in urging the EPA to re-examine their new testing requirements with an eye toward reducing the number of animal tests needed and embrace the development of alternative test methods that are far more relevant, sophisticated—and humane—than animal tests. Take action »