ANIMAL EXPERIMENTATION AND ETHICS

Animal experimentation consists in testing on animals questions that are raised about Man. In health research, these experiments allow us to collect essential data in the fight against Human diseases, as well as in veterinary medicine. In fundamental research these experiments which allow a better knowledge of Humans and Animals, show us that the gap which some people see between them is not as important as they think. This research shows us that some animals sometimes have such cognitive capacities that rival men's and that they are sensitive beings capable of suffering. All this research informs us about our nature, our relations with animals and our place in the animal kingdom. This awareness of the nature and the closeness of Man and Animal led to the creation of Ethics Committees. We need these animals but they deserve our respect and the necessary experiments must be made obeying certain ethical principles. These committees make sure that the animal experiments respect ethical rules, the best known being the "3Rs" (Replacement, Reduction and Refinement).