HUMANE TREATMENT OF ANIMALS USED IN RESEARCH 119 
Mrs. Free. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman, for your invita- 
tion to tell the committee my experience as a newspaperwoman in 
the case of the Food and Drug Administration experimental dogs. 
This experience and research into the laboratory animal problem 
has convinced me of the following : 
Experimental animals are regarded too often as mere tools. 
They are considered similar enough to man physiologically for all 
kinds of tests of benefit to man. But they are not considered similar 
enough when it comes to feeling some of the discomforts man would 
yell to high heaven about. We talk about creature comforts in dis- 
cussing our own sense of well-being. But when creatures are in- 
volved, these basic comforts are often denied. I am not being an- 
thropomorphic, but only applying a rule of commonsense. 
This experience has also convinced me that many of those who pro- 
test the loudest about making improvements later become advocates 
of better conditions. This is true of many at FDA. I point out 
parenthetically that this is the case of the meatpackers who once 
protested a Federal humane slaughter law. Today many of them point 
with pride to their new, humane, more economic methods. 
Now for the FDA story : I could not believe it when a troubled FDA 
scientist told me in October 1959 that deep in the subbasement of the 
South Agriculture Building dogs were kept in cages for life. 
Only seeing would be believing. I obtained permission to see these 
animals. 
In those windowless, subbasement rooms hundreds of dogs flung 
themselves against the bars of their cages, piled tier on tier. They 
were barking, screaming, whining. A few are mute — and drooped 
their heads in the dark corners. Others circled ceaselessly in their 
cages. The steel grids beneath their feet showed their pathetic, cir- 
cular path. These dogs, mostly beagles, are used primarily for the 
testing of food additives. Some remain in their cages for 7 years. 
We often refer to the places we love as a little bit of heaven. Each 
of these rooms is a little bit of hell. 
Mr. Chairman, as a newspaperwoman I have seen in the course of 
my work many harrowing spectacles. I worked in China and have 
lifted starving children from the streets in the interior provinces of 
Hunan. I am also the mother of a young daughter and I have a great 
concern over the conditions governing the life of our communities. 
In short, the lives of people do not play second fiddle to my regard 
for animals. 
But this sight made me realize that here was needless irreverance 
for life. 
I was appalled when FDA scientists told me that when they obtained 
a new $26 million office and laboratory building, they planned to con- 
tinue lifetime caging of these hundreds of dogs. No provisions for 
exercise were being made. 
Only after 4 months of protest from Senator Lister Hill and hu- 
manitarians did FDA agree to greater freedom for these animals, pro- 
vided funds could be obtained for a lab and animal facility in the 
country. 
Senator Hill and Representative John Fogarty, respective chair- 
men of the Senate and House subcommittees handling FDA funds, 
were favorable. Even so, it took nearly 2 years for FDA to obtain the 
