Recently, a suspicion that the beagle 'May', a retired quarantine detection dog at Seoul National University Veterinary University, was used in animal experiments was raised. This is because it is illegal to test animals that have worked or worked for the country under current law.

In fact, many of the medicines and cosmetics we use are released through animal testing. Because of this, more animals are involved in the experiment than expected. In Korea alone, 3.372,163 animals were used for the experiment in 2018. In short, over 10,000 animals are mobilized every day.

The amazing thing is that in five years, the number of domestic test animals has doubled. The number of experimental animals in 2013 was 1.96 million, and soared to 3.37 million last year. The number of monkeys and other mammals mobilized during the same period also increased significantly. One of the other mammals, 13,470 dogs, was used in the experiment last year.

But what happens to these many animals after the experiment is over? Unfortunately, most are euthanized. It may sound harsh, but euthanasia may actually be part of humanitarian action if the animal is irreversible or continues to feel pain after the experiment.

Indeed, the Animal Protection Act states that, `` Anyone who has tested an animal should treat it in such a way that it will not suffer as soon as possible if it is deemed to be able to recover or continue to suffer after the experiment is over. '' have.

So what about experimental animals that can be restored or live without suffering? Even these animals are mostly euthanized. This is because there is no proper standard for evaluating whether the animal is healthy after the experiment, and there was no method or evidence to rescue the animal even if judged to be healthy. According to the Beagle Rescue Network, 150,000 beagles were used in Korea until 2017, and only 21 lived out of the laboratory.

However, the relevant grounds were laid late in Korea. The law was revised last year so that animals that normally recovered after the test can be distributed and donated to the general public. It is a good thing for the animals.

Of course, there are still many things to supplement. Since they were exposed to a special environment called animal testing, it is necessary to determine whether they can be sold and to carry out education and disease prevention activities in advance so that they can adapt well after the sale.

It is especially important to find the right owner, who must be committed to adoption, take advice and be willing to deal with problems that may arise after adoption. After adoption, it is also necessary to check whether the animals are used as pets for life without using them for other purposes. You shouldn't adopt to raise it well and use it as another experiment, crime, or breeding dog in a dog factory.

As the amendment of the law makes it possible to donate and sell experimental animals, we hope that more animals will live in the future, meeting new owners and forgetting the pain of the experiment. Whether it's pure research or regulatory-related experiments, it's up to humans to be able to spend the rest of their lives as they are animals that were mobilized for human needs.

However, it may take quite some time before the culture of adopting experimental animals is established. It is our reality that about half of the 120,000 organic animals that occur each year end up in shelters without finding new guardians. Activities that eliminate vague anxiety and prejudice against test animals are also needed.

Beagles, which account for 94% of the world's test dogs, are used in experiments because they follow people well and do not resist much. Beagles are trapped in the lab because they love people. So I want to ask readers of this article first. "If you have a plan to adopt a dog, would you consider the beagle that was used in the experiment?"

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