Well, I'm a child of the devil...
My dad worked in a lab doing animal research for a good portion of time when I was young. So I've got a little cnnection to the "inside" of animal testing. He worked with Stanford labs. Most of the experiments are done on rats and mice. These animals are purchased from mass dealers.
In the time that he was there, the lab only worked on two studies that involved "pet" animals. The first only used one subject, (I'm sorry, I wish I could remember for certain what the study was for, though I'm pretty sure it was for rheumatoid arthritis) a Golden lab mix named Rudy. He was the lab mascot of sorts, and was well-cared for (3 daily walks even), other than consistent blood tests. He was acquired from a shelter.
The other study used cats for a drug study related to Leukemia. These cats were FeLv positive cats acquired from local shelters and owners. Owners surrendering a pet had to sign contracts and provide vet records to prove that the cat had actually been in their care for at least 6 months. (In case you were wondering, the study didn't produce much of anything as far as human leukemia, but did aid inthe development of treatments for cats)
Do I think that animal research is good? No. But my point is that, atleast in upstanding research facilities, the possibility of receiving stolen pets is small. Also, testing on "pet" animals other than mice and rats is very rare, for a few reasons, (these reasons given to me by my father):
* The first is the expense involved. Rats and mice are cheaper to feed and a lot easier to house do to their size.
*Their systems mimic ours much more so than cats and dogs
* They can be used in studies that call for lots of test subjects
and, most importantly,
Using dogs and cats is too hard for the researchers. With mice and rats, it's easier to disconnect than with dogs and cats. They've found that the job becomes more stressful and less productive when using pet animals. (The four scientists assigned to the study with Rudy cried when he had to be put to asleep for an unrelated tumor.)
But, my basic, and somewhat long-winded, point is that pet animals are rarely used in medical research, and there is little room for stolen animals.
However, I must add that non-medical testing, such as for cosmetics, etc. is not nearly as regulated, and does not necessarily avoid the use of pet animals. (Though much of their testing focuses on rabbits)
And a final disclaimer, I am not a supporter of animal research. I just wanted the relay the information that I've received from a reliable source.
