Animal welfare behind lab doors

In the lab, research animals can become more than just subjects in an experiment.

“We don’t name the rats or anything, but we keep track of who’s who,” Shayne Hall said, a USD senior in a neuroscience lab.

“They acted like puppies, and they all had their own individual personalities. I definitely had a favorite — he was super cute, and he liked to cuddle; I’m new to this type of research, so there’s that emotional factor.”

USD junior Harper Posnick grew up on a farm and spent most of her early years surrounded by animals. Posnick gave her thoughts on animal research.

“I feel like taking a perfectly healthy animal, experimenting on it, then euthanizing it because you’re done with it feels just inhumane,” Posnick said. “On a farm, you witness a lot of animal death. You learn a lot about the cycle of life and how sacred that is … I think that it’s something that should remain untouched.”

Student experiences point to a challenge in animal research: how to advance science while also protecting animal welfare.

USD established its Institutional Animal Care and Use Committees (IACUCs) in 1984. IACUCs bring members from different backgrounds together. Federal regulations require at least five committee members. This includes multiple practicing scientists, a minimum of attending veterinarian, a nonscientific member and a public figure not affiliated with the institution.

In 1985, the U.S. passed two major pieces of legislation to defend the ethical use of animals in research: amendments to the Animal Welfare Act (AWA) and the Health Research Extension Act of 1985. These laws formed requirements for IACUCs.

After the federal government introduced these committees broadly, it then became the job of universities to put these expectations into practice through their own IACUCs. Although USD’s committee existed prior to this, legislation ensured the national regulations.

Professor Daniel Tigard, Ph.D., is USD’s current nonscientific IACUC member. Tigard commented on why this eclectic balance of professionals is necessary.

“Scientists might, quite naturally, maintain scientific progress as the foremost value and goal, while nonscientists might maintain other values,” Tigard explained. “If we want to ensure sincere ethical guidance of research … we’ll need a robust process which includes the values and input of a diversity of voices.”

Federal protections for animals depend on the species and funding behind the research. Under the AWA, certain “purpose-bred” animals — rats, mice and birds bred specifically for research — are excluded from supervision. However, a separate government policy extends protection to all live vertebrates as long as research receives federal funding. Together, these policies determine which animals receive federal support.

Head of the comparative psychology lab, Rachel Blaser, Ph.D., has served as an active scientist on USD’s IACUC for over a decade.

“At USD, IACUC covers all vertebrate animals,” Blaser clarified. “Anything that is an invertebrate, like an insect, wouldn’t count.”

Although vertebrates make up most of the animals experimented with at USD, federal regulations leave many invertebrate species unprotected.

Professor Drew Talley, Ph.D., an active scientist on USD’s IACUC, commented on this gap.

“Cephalopods – like octopuses and squids – are super smart, and probably feel pain certainly as well as many vertebrate species,” Talley said. “Yet, they are not included at a federal level. As a group, IACUC does not count them.”

USD experimented with cephalopods through its 2025 McNair Summer Research Program. Other invertebrates studied at the university include insects, fireworms, sea anemones and roundworms.

Professor Jen Wenzel, Ph.D., works in a lab that uses IACUC-protected rodent models to study neuroscience, cognition and behavior.

“Before scientists begin an experiment, we must submit a protocol [to the IACUC] explaining the scientific objectives, why animals are necessary, how many animals they plan to use and what procedures will be performed,” Wenzel said.

The USD Vista requested data from the university on the number of animals used in research, protected and unprotected. The university declined to comment.

After or during lab experiments, the majority of animals are euthanized. A common method of euthanasia for lab animals is an overdose of anesthetic drugs.

“In a research setting, euthanasia must be performed by appropriately trained and authorized personnel according to the approved IACUC protocol,” Wenzel said. “Methods of euthanasia must be appropriate for the species and be approved by the IACUC.”

The USD Vista asked professors and administrators where the dead animals are placed. As of Nov. 12, The Vista has not received a comment.

Not all animals are euthanized. The remainder of animals may be used for breeding, kept until they die of natural causes or, in the case of some wild animals, released back into their environment.

IACUC regulations do not cover every species or address every ethical concern. In animal labs, the balance between research and ethics remains a subject of debate.

USD professor Colin Fisher, Ph.D., is a former nonscientific IACUC member. Fisher commented on his experience working on the committee.

“Like other members, I occasionally had ethical and other concerns about proposals, and the work could be difficult,” Fisher said. “I was always impressed by my colleagues’ professionalism and diligence balancing the needs of important research with the humane treatment of animals.”

USD professor Aaron Gross, Ph.D., has areas of expertise in both animal and religious studies. His mentor was Bernard Rollin, who drafted pieces of legislation that mandated IACUCs.

“One of the conversations I remember having with him was where I was giving him a hard time about the IACUC structure,” Gross said. “His point was, no this is not perfect, but laboratory animals actually have more protection than any other animals besides companion animals. That, he saw as a very significant step forward for those of us who are concerned with animal welfare.”

Protections for research animals may grow and evolve as more time passes. In the meantime, at USD and many universities across the country, IACUC remains responsible for balancing scientific goals with animal welfare.