Riverdale, Md.
The United States Department of Agriculture’s annual summary report on animal welfare has revealed that the number of animals used in biomedical research rose by seven percent in 2016, from 767,622 in 2015 to 820,812. However, the number of animals held but not used in research decreased by 69 percent from 445,972 in 2015 to 137,444. This report reflects the usage and holding of animals covered by the Animal Welfare Act, including cats, dogs, pigs, rabbits, sheep, hamsters, nonhuman primates, and guinea pigs, and does not describe populations of rats, mice, fish, and other small animals.
