Together, we can reduce⁠—and eventually end⁠—harmful animal experiments.

Each year, it is estimated that more than 50 million dogs, cats, monkeys, rabbits, rats and other animals are forced to endure painful experiments in the U.S. These animals are deliberately sickened with toxic chemicals or infected with diseases, live in barren cages and are typically killed when the experiment ends. But humans and animals are very different, so outdated animal experiments often don’t accurately mimic how the human body will respond to drugs, chemicals or treatments.

Dogs Used in Experiments FAQ

Beagle in temp shelter after being rescued from a cruelty situation

In the summer of 2022, our Animal Rescue Team removed approximately 4,000 beagles from a mass breeding facility that received multiple violations for issues such as inadequate veterinary care and insufficient food. Most of these dogs were bound for a life of experimentation in animal laboratories across the country.

Meredith Lee / The HSUS
Non-animal methods

The world is moving toward a future dominated by sophisticated methods that use human cells, tissues and organs, 3D printing, robotics, computer models and other technologies to create experiments that don't rely on animals. These technologies are better for both animals and humans because they are typically faster, less expensive and more accurate than the outdated animal experiments that have been used for decades. With your help, we can make sure that the transition to advanced non-animal methods happens more quickly.

Animals Used in Experiments FAQ

Did you know?
Portrait of a kitten in a cage
90%
OF DRUGS

Tested on animals ultimately fail in human trials, according to the National Institutes of Health.

mouse animal testing
0
MICE, RATS AND BIRDS

Bred to be used in experiments are protected under the Animal Welfare Act or counted in the annual statistics collected by the United States Department of Agriculture.

Chimpanzee retired from a life in research, relaxing in a tree at Project Chimps in Blue Ridge, Georgia
280+
CHIMPANZEES

Are still waiting to be moved out of labs and into sanctuaries even though invasive experiments on chimpanzees in the United States ended in 2015.

Scared beagle is carried away by person in toxicology lab to be tested on

Tell the FDA to stop relying on archaic animal tests like the ones highlighted in our undercover investigation and instead prioritize a shift to non-animal methods that are more accurate, such as organ-on-a-chip technologies, computational modeling and organoids.

The HSUS