Should Killing Surplus Lab Animals Be a Crime?

A court in Germany is investigating whether killing animals bred for labs but never used in research constitutes a crime, since German law forbids hurting animals without reasonable cause. According to a 2017 report by the European Commission, more animals (12.6 million) were bred and killed without being used in experiments than those who were bred and used (9.4 million) in the European Union that year. In response to the ongoing legal deliberations, some groups are already finding ways to reduce the number of surplus animals, for example by creating fewer animals through more efficient breeding and better matching of supply to demand, and by considering the transfer of animals to different laboratories.

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