Chapter 3 
Patterns of Animal Use 
Humans “use” animals in several different ways. 
In addition to animal use in research, testing, and 
education, animals are involved in food and fiber 
production, the production of biological products, 
sports, and entertainment. Animals can also be kept 
as pets for the purpose of companionship. It has 
been roughly estimated that 2 billion to 4 billion 
animals are used in food and fiber production 
every year and that Americans have approximately 
75 million dogs and cats as household pets. The 
uses not considered in this assessment therefore 
account for many times more animals than the esti- 
mated 17 million to 22 million animals used annu- 
ally in research, testing, and education. 
There are no easily obtainable data in the United 
States allowing an accurate estimate of animal use 
for research, testing, and education that satisfies 
all interested parties; estimates range over a full 
order of magnitude, from approximately 10 mil- 
lion to 100 million animals. These estimates have 
all been prepared by different people or institu- 
tions with different data sources under different 
standards (e.g., different time periods or defini- 
tions). Comparison of the various estimates is dif- 
ficult and, in many cases, impossible. 
The issue of numbers is important to any dis- 
cussion of animal use in research, testing, and edu- 
cation. Most basically, a number is needed from 
which to consider arguments to decrease or elim- 
inate animal use. In addition, comparing absolute 
numbers in different years would provide some 
idea of whether laboratory -animal use is increas- 
ing or decreasing in the United States; these num- 
bers are powerful and important to many people. 
A high overall total, or high numbers of certain 
species (such as nonhuman primates or companion 
species), supports the claims of interest groups hop- 
ing to restrict or ban such experimentation. On 
the other hand, a low number indicates the issue 
is not as important as some claim. In addition, a 
decreasing trend in animal use supports the posi- 
tion that the present system will lower animal use 
on its own. 
For this assessment, some idea was needed of 
the scope of animal use in terms of both the num- 
bers of particular species used and the different 
major users. In addition, an analysis of different 
data sources helps put the various estimates of ani- 
mal use into some comparative perspective. It pro- 
vides the context in which to discuss alternatives 
and how much effect they might have. Although 
it is true that the development of alternatives and 
alternative methods does not require a perfectly 
accurate estimate of usage, the planning of public 
policy certainly should be based on firm data. 
By looking critically at the different data sources 
and coming up with possible estimates of labora- 
tory-animal use in the United States, this assess- 
ment attempts to base discussions on a realistic, 
factually backed range of figures. Without such 
an analysis, any discussion or decisions on policy 
issues and possible solutions lack an important per- 
spective. 
THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT S USE OF ANIMALS 
To document the scope and extent of animal use 
for research by Federal departments and agen- 
cies, information was obtained from the Animal 
and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) an- 
nual reports for Federal research facilities for 1983, 
the Animal Welfare Enforcement Reports for fis- 
cal years 1978 through 1983 (both obtained from 
the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)), and 
personal communications or written material 
about animal use in each department or agency. 
Together, the information illustrates: 
• the extent of animal use in different de- 
partments, 
• the amount and type of animals being used 
in the Federal Government, 
• the experimental conditions under which 
most animal experiments are carried out, 
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