Beagles Freedom Project
Read: Cases from the Real World, page 257-258. (Access for free at https://openstax.org/books/business-ethics/pages/8-5-animal-rights-and-the-implications-for-business)
Beagles Freedom Project
Beagles are popular pets because like most dogs they are people pleasers, plus they are obedient and easy to care for (Figure 8.13 (Links to an external site.) These same qualities make them the primary breed for animal testing: ninety-six percent of all dogs used in testing are beagles, leading animal-rights groups like the Beagle Freedom Project to make rescuing them a priority.48 (Links to an external site.) Even animal activists have to compromise to make progress, however, as the director of Beagle Freedom explains: “We have a policy position against animal testing. We don’t like it philosophically, scientifically, even personally. . . . But that doesn’t mean we can’t find common ground, a common-sense solution, to bridge two sides of a very controversial and polarizing debate, which is animal testing, and find this area in the middle where we can get together to help animals.”49 (Links to an external site.)
Dogs used as subjects in laboratory experiments live in stacked metal cages with only fluorescent light, never walk on grass, and associate humans with pain. In toxicology testing, they are exposed to toxins at increasing levels to determine at what point they become ill. Before a beagle can be rescued, the laboratory has to agree to release it, which can be a challenge. If the laboratory is willing, the Beagle Freedom Project still has to negotiate, which usually means paying for all costs, including veterinary care and transportation, and absolving the laboratory of all liability, and then find the dog a home.
Alternatives to testing on beagles include three-dimensional human-skin-equivalent systems and a variety of advanced computer-based models for measuring skin irritation, for instance. According to the New England Anti-Vivisection Society, nonanimal tests are often more cost-effective, practical, and expedient; some produce results in a significantly shorter time.50 (Links to an external site.)
Watch the following video. https://youtu.be/y3-BX-jN_Ac
Critical Thinking
Why have U.S. cosmetics companies continued to use beagles for testing when there are more humane alternatives at lower costs?