INTRODUCTION
Live animals have been used for experimental purposes for over 2000 years. Two of the first investigators included Aristotle, a biologist, and Galen, the founder of experimental physiology. In early biological work, as in other areas of animal use, exploitation was taken for granted. In the Western world widespread interest in the welfare of nonhumans is a recent development.
British laws forbidding cruelty to animals were passed in the late 19th century and stood alone for over fifty years. Activism against the use of animals in research began in the U.S. after the second World War with federal legislation and regulations following.
In 1966 Congress reacted to public pressure and passed the Laboratory Animal Welfare Act giving the U.S. Department of Agriculture a mandate to develop regulations controlling the interstate transportation of dogs and cats.