A large number of laws and regulations have been enacted to control the marketing of drugs, cosmetics, pesticides, food additives, and other products that could prove to be hazardous to human health and/or the environment. Such regulations often prescribe a specific regime of laboratory testing to generate information that will enable government regulators to determine whether the benefits of a particular substance outweigh its potential harms.

Government statistics, where available, indicate that product testing accounts for approximately 10 percent of all animal use for scientific purposes, which amounts to many millions of animals per year worldwide. Such testing calls into question the ethics and humaneness of deliberately poisoning animals (sometimes to death), the appropriateness of harming animals for the sake of marketing a new brand of mascara or moisturizer, the applicability of animal data to humans, and the possibility of sparing millions of animals by developing alternatives to a handful of widely used procedures.

The HSUS considers animal-based toxicity studies to be an ethically and scientifically questionable means of evaluating potential hazards to human beings, wildlife, or the environment we all share. We are working on a national and global level to promote greater reliance on available alternative testing methods, and are actively supporting a landmark call by the US National Research Council for fundamental changes to the way product testing is conducted—to move from animal tests that are decades old, costly, slow and of dubious relevance to people, to ultra-modern, efficient and human-relevant non-animal methods.

Visit the Humane Society International (HSI) website to learn more about animals used in experiments internationally.


Animal Testing: The Beginning of the End?

The quiet evolution of alternatives to animal testing may turn into a fast-paced revolution in testing methods. And the driving force is coming from an unlikely source—the United States, which to date has largely reacted to developments in Europe. more

Current HSUS Projects

The Humane Society's campaign to end animal testing combines political and grassroots advocacy, corporate outreach, and a strong science foundation to encourage government regulators and corporations to become more accepting of new technologies and alternatives to animal use. more

Information on Test Methods

A toxicity test is designed to generate data concerning the harmful effects of a substance on human health or the environment. more

Limitations of Animal Methods

Experiments on animals are predicated on the assumption that what is true for one animal species is most likely also true for others, including humans. Yet catastrophic drug failures, such as the TGN 1412 incident, provide a sobering reminder that animal "models" often do not correctly predict real-world consequences for people. more

Non-Animal Testing Methods

The term "alternative" in the context of animal testing is used to describe any change from present procedures that will result in the replacement of animals, a reduction in the numbers used, or a refinement of techniques to alleviate or minimize potential pain, distress and/or suffering. more

Progress

For more than a half-century, the Humane Society of the United States has worked to reduce suffering and to create meaningful change for animals in laboratories through public education, scientific outreach, legislative advocacy, and strategic partnerships. more

Resources: Scientific Publications

Humane Society scientists and policy leaders regularly contribute to the academic debate surrounding the use of animals in research and testing. more

Testing Fact Sheets

The HSUS has provided a list of factsheets on the testing of chemicals, cosmetics, endocrine disruptors, food additives, nanomaterials, pesticides, pharmaceuticals and vaccines in the United States. more