Dogs and cats are used in regulatory toxicology testing globally, despite significant public opposition and the availability of alternative testing approaches.
Dogs are highly social and cognitively complex animals whose welfare is severely compromised by laboratory housing. Stereotypic behaviours, fear responses and chronic elevated cortisol are common in research dogs. Many regulatory toxicology requirements that mandate dog studies date from legislation designed decades ago and are increasingly challenged by equivalently valid in vitro and in silico approaches.