Arent millions of stolen pets used in research?
A total of 75,000 dogs and 26,000 cats were used for education and research in 1998 in all research facilities in the United States. Approximately 50 percent of these animals were purpose-bred for research and 15 percent were purchased from shelters. The remainder were purchased from 30 licensed USDA dealers. These dealers must be licensed and follow rules by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Also, the government often inspects the dealers and research facilities to make sure research animals are not missing pets. Very few states allow dogs to be purchased for research from animal shelters or the pounds or from unlicensed dealers, the only source for the potential for domestic pets to enter research. According to the American Humane Association, between 8 to 10 million unclaimed dogs and cats are euthanized at the pounds and shelters each year because they were abandoned by their owners and not adopted. In few instances, some animals already scheduled to be killed by
