We should leverage our love for pets to combat animal testing

Tracy Moore looks at how animal advocates can leverage our love of companion animals to bring attention to other issues like animal testing.

In the U.S. alone, 65.1 million households have a dog, followed by cats at 46.5 million. The billion-dollar companion animal industry is booming, experiencing an 11% increase since 2021. In the non-profit sector, companion animals remain the highest earning area within animal-based giving.

It’s unsurprising that our love for companion animals influences opinions on their use in scientific testing as well. It is believed that of the estimated one million animals used in research annually in the U.S., a combined 9% are dogs and cats. While they make up only a small percentage of animals used, research shows that they are the least supported species for use in testing. Comparatively, the same poll found that 64% of participants supported the use of rodents. According to Scientific and Humane Issues in the Use of Random Source Dogs and Cats in Research, findings demonstrate that the general public ultimately values companion animals used in laboratories higher than their non-companion counterparts.

Recent developments point towards an exciting future for fighting animal experimentation, due in part to the ever-present interest in companion animals. Their popularity presents a potentially unexplored opportunity for advocates to leverage targeted narratives in order to expand their reach.

A historic win

After a years-long process, it was announced in October that Envigo RMS, a company breeding animals for use in scientific testing, was sentenced for conspiring to knowingly violate the Animal Welfare Act. It was ruled that parent company Inotiv owes a historic $35+ million, as well as the largest fine ever observed in an animal welfare case. This includes $22 million in criminal fines and an additional minimum of $7 million for facility and personnel improvement, complying to what is described as “enhanced animal welfare standards.”

The prosecution of Envigo RMS/Inotiv was supported by the findings from undercover investigations of their facilities conducted by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) and the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS). As a result of these efforts, in June 2024 Envigo was ordered to pay nearly $1.9 million to the HSUS for “direct assistance provided to the investigation.”

The HSUS’ involvement included the largest rescue operation in the history of their existence, rescuing and rehabilitating over 4,000 beagles from Inotiv facilities.

While the case developed, videos and posts began flooding HSUS social media feeds, featuring heartwarming images of beagle puppies from Inotiv facilities. Posts showcasing the Inotiv story amassed thousands of likes cross-platform, with Facebook entries alone gaining massive amounts of engagement. The cause even earned its own hashtag, #4000Beagles.

Outside social media, petitions demanding the beagles’ release amassed more than 100,000 signatures, while simultaneous fundraising efforts earned over $74,000. The story made national headlines, including coverage from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Numerous television news programs covered the story, raising awareness for the suffering the beagles faced on a nationwide scale.

As a result of the widespread coverage of the story, all of the beagles successfully found loving forever homes within the same year that they were rescued. One beagle even went on to be adopted by Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex. To this day, the HSUS still frequently posts updates about the beagles, including celebrating their one year “Beagleversary” in 2023.

Utilizing a narrative

The Inotiv beagle story was a triumphant achievement for animals used in research, reaching broad levels of virality. While the popularity of the story was atypical, a crucial part of its reach stemmed from the excellent narrative presented via the associated media.

The majority of the HSUS’ social media posts following the Inotiv story featured a beagle puppy in some capacity, using a mixture of both lighthearted and emotional imagery. Clips of puppies were strategically placed in the first few seconds of short-form content surrounding the story, garnering thousands of views within hours of posting.

Whether it was the images of puppies confined in small cages or videos of them happily enjoying their newfound freedom, the careful curation conveyed a compelling story. Every aspect of the posts was meticulously developed for maximum impact, undoubtedly the catalyst for the outpouring of support. For example, it was evident that thought was put into the use of puppies in lieu of adult dogs, providing a sense of vulnerability and youthful optimism that was irresistibly inspiring to the public.

Additionally, because of the frequent updates from the HSUS, audiences could follow the beagles from their heart-wrenching beginnings at the cramped facilities all the way to their happy endings in their forever homes — a satisfying conclusion to a years-long story. The cross-platform posts about the beagles helped create a sense of community, encouraging audiences to work together to rescue the dogs from being used in research. Moreover, audiences were able to directly play a part in helping the dogs by participating in fundraisers and engaging with social media, giving them the sense that they were contributing in a meaningful way.

Interestingly, Inotiv facilities also tested on monkeys, some of which was captured in the investigation’s undercover footage. The monkeys suffered similar fates to the beagles used by Inotiv — and yet any mention of them seemed absent from news coverage, petitions, and the majority of social media associated with the company. This was likely both a stylistic and practical choice — the narrative of the 4,000 beagles was perhaps deemed much more compelling for general audiences, and certainly, the public can’t help in adopting monkeys in the same way.

Laps, not labs

Though it was the most noteworthy, the Inotiv beagle story was not the first time that companion animal imagery has been used to draw attention to breeding facilities and/or testing practices taking place at laboratories. Despite cats and dogs making up a smaller fraction of animals used in scientific research, campaigns featuring them have been published by several notable organizations over the years.

Interestingly, animal testing posts that feature a companion animal often appear to earn increased levels of engagement. A LinkedIn post by the HSUS using the image of a beagle puppy and mentioning Inotiv garnered 700+ reactions, whereas a similar one featuring a monkey — also linked to Inotiv — only received 105. On YouTube, a video depicting undercover footage of monkeys in a laboratory gained only 34,000 views, whereas a similar video of beagles has an impressive 406,000 views. While fluctuations in engagement can be due to a number of factors, it is nonetheless interesting to observe that dogs appear to be much more “shareable” than monkeys, despite them both suffering in similar conditions — sometimes, even at the same facility.

Leveraging the companion animal perspective

For advocates, the Inotiv beagle story can be an enlightening lesson on how a strong narrative shaped by companion animal imagery can effectively engage the general public, inspiring them to take action against scientific research on animals.

While it can be difficult to gain public sympathy for animals used in testing — especially those not covered in the Animal Welfare Act — companion animals may offer the necessary incentive needed to spark interest. Simply put, portraying the stories of companion animals involved in testing versus their non-companion counterparts might help advocates be more effective in raising awareness on a broad scale.

Although it might seem counterintuitive, meeting people who love companion animals “where they are” in terms of their beliefs surrounding animals used in research has the potential to bridge the gap between animal advocates and the general public. If an investigation such as that of the 4,000 Inotiv beagles can incite massive fines against companies conducting animal experiments, and then result in such widespread public outcry, the possibility of permanently stopping such experiments altogether might become a reality with strategic approaches.

Takeaways

The vast majority of the general public give priority to companion animals, and advocates should consider aligning their approach at strategic times to accommodate such perspectives. Purposefully targeting people interested in companion animals offers an opportunity to not only educate, but encourage. Inspired by the success of the 4,000 beagles story, suggested approaches for other research animal advocates include:

Crafting a strong, engaging narrative (both visual and written) centered around companion animals;
Focusing efforts on using imagery depicting cats and dogs used at testing facilities in place of rats, monkeys, guinea pigs, etc. To further the narrative, consider focusing on a specialized group of animals and telling their stories (e.g., the 4,000 beagles);
Creating a sense of community by offering opportunities for participation, outreach, and engagement;
Drawing attention to facilities/companies engaging in breeding of and/or testing on dogs and cats; and
Highlighting identifiable traits within the featured animals that will resonate with the target audience, such as behaviors their own pets might exhibit like playing or cuddling with one another.

While it may seem contradictory to tailor your approach to focusing primarily on companion animals despite the millions of rodents and thousands of monkeys, rabbits, and other species being used in research, the benefits of appealing to those outside of the animal protection movement may ultimately result in accelerated changes — such as in the case against Inotiv.

Original source: https://faunalytics.org