Joanne Zurlo, Alan M. Goldberg, and Deborah Rudacille

About the author: Joanne Zurlo, Alan M. Goldberg, and Deborah Rudacille are associate director, director, and research writer, respectively, at the Center for Alternatives to Animal Testing, Johns Hopkins School of Public Health.

In the controversy surrounding animal experimentation, researchers must gain public confidence by showing that they treat lab animals well. This humane treatment should include a concern for limiting any pain or duress that these animals may suffer, and a desire to eliminate animal testing when alternative methods are available. Researchers are responsible for proving that their actions are guided by a compassionate regard for the animals in their care.

Independent surveys carried out over the past 15 years in the United States and Europe have consistently revealed that animal protection is no...