Here’s a roundup of this week’s biggest news stories related to animal research—all the recent media coverage you need to know right now to be the most effective activist for animals in labs.
Lab Rats and Science Mice: Why Are We Using Animals in Research?
Petra Stock
August 22, 2023
“In her paper . . . the University of Amsterdam researcher examines the complex individual and social lives of these small rodents, their sense of community and care for others when they fall ill, and what this means for the way humans perceive and treat them . . . ‘basically there’s no difference between the life of a mouse and the life of a human being,’ Meijer says.” Full Story →
Dogs Rescued From Testing Laboratory Rehomed
Christian Fuller
August 23, 2023
“Seven dogs rescued from a testing laboratory in mainland Europe are to be rehomed….”
“At research facilities, beagles are raised in cages in unhygienic and stressful conditions, and never see daylight. They are often used as pharmaceutical or biochemical test subjects . . . beagles are chosen specifically for animal testing due to their docile nature.” Full Story →
‘Humanzee’ Was Grown in a Lab Before Scientists Euthanised It
Katherine Sidnell
August 21, 2023
“‘They inseminated a female chimpanzee with human semen from an undisclosed donor and claimed not only that pregnancy occurred but the pregnancy went full term and resulted in a live birth. But in a matter of days, or a few weeks, they began to consider the moral and ethical considerations, and the infant was euthanised.’” Full Story →
New Bill in Congress Seeks to Expand DOJ Powers in Animal Abuse Cases
Maya Rodriguez
August 21, 2023
The Better CARE for Animals Act “would give the Department of Justice the same ability [as the USDA, under the Animal Welfare Act] and allow them to step in and remove animals experiencing harmful treatment, as well as seek license suspensions, revocations and civil penalties in those cases.” Full Story →
Can Fish Recognize Themselves? These Cleaner Wrassess Passed the Mirror Test
Avery Hurt
August 18, 2023
“‘This study is the first to demonstrate that fish have an internal sense of self. Since the target animal is a fish, this finding suggests that nearly all social vertebrates also have this higher sense of self.’” Full Story →