Chandler Rincon An Animals in Labs Article by Chandler Rincon from All-Creatures.org


In this article, Chandler Rincon discusses how the NIH's change in funding priorities may benefit the animals. He also examines promising non-animal research tools and the work left to be done to end vivisection once and for all.


Share



NIH Shifts Funding Away from Animal Experiments — Why This Matters and Why the Fight Must Continue

In a landmark development, the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) announced that it will no longer issue new funding opportunities exclusively for projects using animal models of human disease (NIH, 2025). Instead, proposals must be open to a range of approaches, explicitly encouraging human-based, non-animal methods where feasible.

This change sends a powerful signal: animal experiments are no longer considered the unquestioned “gold standard.” By shifting incentives, the NIH acknowledges what animal advocates and growing numbers of scientists have long argued — that animal testing is scientifically flawed, ethically indefensible, and ripe for replacement.

But while this is a milestone, it is not the end of the struggle. It is a foothold. Millions of animals remain trapped in laboratories, and unless we continue pushing for abolition, vivisection will persist under new disguises.

The Benefits: Saving Lives and Strengthening Science

Millions of Animals at Stake

Every year in the United States, tens of millions of animals — mostly mice and rats, but also dogs, cats, rabbits, and primates — are subjected to invasive experiments. They endure confinement, surgical interventions, forced drugging, toxic exposures, and ultimately death.

By ending animal-only grant calls, NIH reduces institutional incentives that perpetuate this cycle. Laboratories seeking funding will now need stronger justification for animal use — a shift that could spare countless beings from suffering.

Human Science Moves Forward

The change also benefits human health. The record of animal models is dismal: over 80% of drugs that pass preclinical animal testing fail in human clinical trials (AMA Journal of Ethics, 2024). Species differences in physiology, immunity, and metabolism make animal results unreliable predictors of human outcomes.

Non-animal methods, often referred to as New Approach Methodologies (NAMs), offer stronger promise:

  • Organoids and tissue chips replicate human cellular behavior with remarkable accuracy.

  • Microphysiological “organ-on-a-chip” systems allow real-time modeling of disease processes.

  • AI-driven computational models predict toxicity and efficacy far faster than animal testing.

  • Patient-derived cells and stem cell systems reflect human diversity and variation in ways no lab-bred animal can.

These approaches are not only more humane, but also faster, cheaper, and far more predictive of human health outcomes (Cruelty Free International, 2025).

Why the Fight Is Not Over

Despite progress, NIH has not banned animal testing. The agency still funds experiments on dogs, cats, and other animals (The Guardian, 2025). Regulatory requirements also continue to demand animal data in certain contexts, meaning laboratories can justify ongoing cruelty under the guise of “necessity.”

Worse still, reforms risk entrenching animal use by making it appear more humane. The familiar “3Rs” framework (Replacement, Reduction, Refinement) has achieved incremental gains, but true justice lies in the first R: Replacement. Only abolition recognizes that animals are not ours to use — not in some cases, not when convenient, but ever.

We must remember: this is not just about flawed science. It is about justice for sentient beings. As long as vivisection exists, animals will remain commodities — their individuality erased, their suffering normalized.

The Path to Liberation

The NIH’s decision offers momentum. Here’s how we can push further:

  • Demand accountability: Monitor NIH budgets and ensure animal research is genuinely phased out.

  • Support alternatives: Fund and celebrate scientists developing NAMs and cruelty-free methods.

  • Change the law: Advocate for binding legislation that bans animal testing, as seen in cosmetics and now emerging in drug safety reforms.

  • Expose the truth: Investigate and publicize ongoing vivisection practices, fueling public outrage.

  • Educate and inspire: Build a culture that sees animal use in labs not as science, but as cruelty disguised as progress.

A Turning Point — Not the Finish Line

The NIH’s funding shift is historic. It validates what we already know: animal experiments are failing humans and devastating animals. The new focus on human-based science is a win for compassion and a win for progress.

But we cannot stop here. Dogs, cats, primates, rodents — all continue to suffer in sterile cages and experimental protocols. The fight for liberation is not about “better treatment” or “fewer animals.” It is about ending vivisection entirely.

This moment is our rallying cry: to reimagine science without cruelty, to refuse complacency, and to demand a world where no being is sacrificed in the name of research. Liberation for animals in laboratories is not just possible — it is inevitable, if we keep pushing.

Posted on All-Creatures.org: February 25, 2026
Return to Animals in Labs