Although the general public may be under the impression that the treatment of laboratory animals is not all that bad, groups such as IDA (In Defense of Animals), PeTA, and other animal activist groups have raised public awareness to such a degree that the situation is slowly changing.

• Notable Quotes on Vivisection I despise and abhor the pleas on behalf of that infamous practice, vivisection... I would rather submit to the worst of deaths, so far as pain goes, than have a single dog or cat tortured to death on the pretense of sparing me a twinge or two.
  --Robert Browning

Medical Professionals Advocate Changes

Groups such as the ²Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, ³Psychologists for the Ethical Treatment of Animals , ⁴Doctors Against Dog Labs, and the Medical Research Modernization Committee have also joined in the crusade to bring about changes.

Policy Changes by Educators

Many colleges and universities are voluntarily changing their policies about the use of animals for teaching purposes. The trend in recent years has been for medical schools to move away from the use of animals in education, and toward superior tools such as computer models, simulations, and increased clinical experience. An increasing number of ⁵medical schools now offer curricula with no live animal laboratories, while others offer opt-out for students objecting to dissection on moral grounds.

Federal and State Legislation
Most notable in recent years has been the Pet Protection and Safety Act of 2001, which was enacted to correct certain deficiencies of the Animal Welfare Act of 1966.

• The Pet Protection and Safety Act of 1998
  Amended in the AWA by legislation introduced by Senator Daniel K. Akaka (D-Hawaii) to stop Class B dealers from selling stolen cats and dogs to laboratories.
• Opt-Out Laws
  Several states now have laws that allow primary, secondary, and college school students to opt out of animal dissection in classes, with parental permission. ( ⁶AnimalLaw.com has developed a model law for this purpose. )
• Colorado 35-42.5-101 (Pound Seizure)
  Provides for notification to owners surrendering pets that a shelter participates in pound seizure. Prohibits red-tagging (setting aside a surrendered animal for pound seizure without making it available for adoption).
• Massachusetts Chapter 272: Section 80C
  Protects dogs, cats, and pet birds from theft for the purpose of sale for research purposes.

Although I was unable to find any other significant changes to existing laws, or any new laws affecting cats used for laboratory experiments, the HSUS reports that a number of state initiatives for other animal protection issues fared well in the 2002 elections. (Small comfort to anyone who has ever had a cat stolen by a buncher.)
Footnotes:

²Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine on Pound Seizure
³Psychologists for the Ethical Treatment of Animals
⁴Doctors Against Dog Labs
⁵List
⁶Model Law for Student Opt-Out

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