Why we need a Belmont Report for Animals

1.15.23 The Belmont Report was published in 1979 by the National Commission for the Protection of Human Subjects of Biomedical and Behavioral Research, and outlined basic ethical principles and guidelines for conducting biomedical and behavioral research using human subjects following the passage of the National Research Act in 1974. The Commission was established in response to a long and dark history of human abuses in medical research in the United States. Three key ethical principles were outlined in the report that today guide and restrict human research not just in the US but in many other countries: respect for persons (‘autonomy’, or the need to ensure informed consent), beneficence (‘do no harm’ or ‘maximize benefits while minimizing harm’), and justice (‘who receives the benefits of research and who should bear the burdens’), with special protections for vulnerable individuals and populations.

The laws and regulatory requirements have greatly improved protections for humans as research subjects, but sadly have shifted the burdens to animals, for which there is no current equivalent measure of protection. The Animal Welfare Act (which excludes protections for the majority of species used in research) and subsequent laws and regulatory requirements for the care and use of animals in research have not adequately addressed the similar ethicals concerns outlined in the Belmont Report for humans.

Dr. Hope Ferdowsian, President and co-Founder of the Phoenix Zones Initiative, along with colleagues, argues it is time for a Belmont Report for Animals to offer similar protections for nonhuman animals used in biomedical and behavioral research and testing. We at Aisling, are in agreement with Hope and her colleagues, and are working to support such an effort for the protection of dogs and other animals.