The debate on animal research has entered a new phase, involving a reevaluation of the moral status of animals, a detailed examination of the biological and philosophical meaning of animal pain and suffering, and a closer examination of the benefits of different types of knowledge. We need a clearer understanding of the ethical issues in animal research to provide the groundwork for public policy.

(1E 1989) Veterinary ethics & religion/the law/moral theory/ animal rights/farm food & performance animal practice/etc.

The field of veterinary ethics deals with the moral responsibilities and ideals of veterinarians in their capacity of providers of medical care for animals and as members of the veterinary profession when the profession speaks on issues relating to the use, treatment, and medical care of animals. For veterinarians, the professional role characteristically involves serving – at the same time – two parties or stakeholders with potentially conflicting interests: an animal that receives veterinary care and a human who owns the (...) animal and pays for this care. Because it can be difficult, and is sometimes impossible, for veterinarians to serve the interests of both their animal and human masters, hard ethical choices must be made. These choices can be complicated by the fact that there are disagreements about the value and importance of animals, and thus about how much the interests of veterinary patients should count in the first place. Veterinary ethics faces issues of great variety, in part because there are different kinds of veterinary practice, which raise different ethical questions. (shrink)

This chapter presents and defends key ethical principles for the use of animals in the scientific study of human disease. The discussion focuses on the roles that general ethical principles, and sets or collections of such principles, play in this research. Because of the importance and wide applicability of general principles in ethical assessment of human health-related animal research, the chapter is able to provide a useful overview of ethical issues raised by this research. The chapter discusses the roles that (...) sets of general principles play in providing ethical guidance to those involved in this research, and in expressing their central obligations and ideals. The chapter identifies the ethical core of human health-related animal research: the basic general ethical principles that govern its use and care of animals. (shrink)