Here & Now

Animal Rights Groups Push to End Biomedical Testing on Dogs

Frederica Freyberg:
Two animal rights groups announced a deal with a breeding and biomedical testing facility to purchase 1500 of their dogs. This comes following a failed but high-profile attempt by activists to break into the facility and liberate the animals earlier this month. Ridglan Farms was investigated for animal abuse but was not charged on the condition they agreed to give up their breeding license. Next week on our program, we’ll speak with the special prosecutor in that case. But the animal rights group says more needs to be done to end what it says is unnecessary biomedical testing on animals.

Wayne Pacelle:
This system of testing is broken. It’s been broken for a very long time. The data show that in more than 90% of cases where a new drug passes muster, in ten years of animal tests, when it then goes to human clinical trials, it fails more than 90% of the time. You know, the NBA playoffs are happening now. If you had a free throw shooter who hit one of every ten free throws, that person, that player would be on the bench. Why is a 92% failure rate considered some sort of success?