You may be surprised, even shocked, to learn that scientific experiments on animals are still being undertaken on a large scale in the UK. The matter has been recently debated in the English parliament, following the success of an e-petition (number 705384) calling for an immediate ban on experiments undertaken on dogs. The petition has, so far, attracted 240,827 signatures, and is open until 14th August 2025.

The parliamentary debate included a discussion about the number of dogs involved (in 2023, 2,456 dogs were used in 3,749 scientific procedures) and the corresponding welfare of those animals (734 of the procedures were classed as causing severe or moderate harm).

MPs also heard about specific examples of experiments – one such being a study conducted by AstraZeneca to test a more eco-friendly propellant for use in inhalers. Their tests lasted up to 39 weeks and involved 72 beagles, the breed most commonly used in animal experiments involving dogs. The dogs were tethered and forced to inhale the gas for two hours each day through a mask fitted inside a muzzle. They had no access to water during this time, and for 16 hours overnight. At the end of the study, all the dogs were euthanized, as is the usual practice, so that their tissues could be dissected for further study.

MPs were informed that inhalers contribute a very small fraction of global hydrofluoroalkane emissions, and were asked to consider whether the ends justify the means?

Questions were also raised about the relevance of experiments on animals and the benefits they have in human medicine (thalidomide, for example, was tested safely on animals; and whilst chocolate is poisonous for dogs, it certainly isn’t for humans), and alternatives to animal experimentation were discussed – not least 3-D computer modelling and AI generated tests.

However, there is insufficient funding for developing non-animal methods – the sum spent on them represents just 0.5% of total research funding in the UK.

The UK government says it is committed to phasing out animals in medical testing, but that this is a long-term goal requiring further scientific validation, and that it cannot be introduced immediately (as the petition calls for). But we’ve been talking about phasing out experiments on animals for decades, with very little action. It’s time for governments around the world, not least our own, and ‘big pharma’ to deliver results.

Benny, a just-turned eight-year-old Jack Russell, strongly agrees with giving animals a voice. So much so, that he’s a bit of a barker and he can be very vocal if he doesn’t get his own way. He’s good around other dogs when he’s out and about but we think he’d be happiest as the only dog in a household, with no other pets, because he loves to be the centre of attention.

Benny’s ideal home would be a quiet, adult-only one where he can be the perfect companion, going for gentle, sniffy walks and then sharing a sofa with an owner who understands his needs. He came to us because he’d bonded so tightly with his previous owner that he couldn’t cope when the gentleman’s partner moved in – so, he needs a fresh start with a new favourite human, or humans, to call his own.

Benny would, if his barks could be translated, encourage us all to sign the e-petition so that it exceeds 300,000 signatures and remains a hot topic. Phasing out experiments on animals must be given the governmental attention, and funding, it deserves. If you agree, then it’s a simple, two-minute process to register your signature on the petition – you need to click on https://petition.parliament.uk and search using the ‘most popular’ navigation tool.