The history of anti-vivisection movements provides important lessons about how animal welfare reform progresses through public campaigns, legislative action, and scientific advocacy.
The history of animal welfare reform through anti-vivisection campaigns illustrates how public moral concern translates into legislative change through sustained advocacy. Early reformers faced fierce resistance from medical establishments but succeeded in establishing the principle that animal experimentation requires justification and oversight. The Three Rs framework has shaped laboratory animal welfare globally, creating a shared language for improvement that bridges advocacy and science. Understanding this history contextualises current welfare reforms as part of a long-term trajectory that makes genuine progress through both scientific engagement and public pressure.