Laboratory Animals Need Only Humane Treatment: Animal “Rights” May Debase Human Rights

Abstract

Arguments for animal “rights” confuse the issue of what rights are about and, in the context of the care of laboratory animals, are misleading. Only human beings have rights and they should be cherished and extended. Consideration of the welfare of animals is important, but the context is that it is for the benefit of human beings and the animals serving humanity. Scientists need to explain the worth of animal research, particularly in regard to psychological studies. They also need to expose the fallacies in the animal rightists' arguments as one of the means to help diminish the threat to science.

Key Words:

• humane treatment
• animal welfare
• rights
• laboratory animals
• animal rights
• antivivisection