Bureau of Animal Welfare, Department of Natural Resources and Environment, Attwood, Victoria 3049, Australia.
Altern Lab Anim. 2004 Jun;32 Suppl 1A:221-3. doi: 10.1177/026119290403201s36.
A fundamental component of the ethics of animal use in science is justification on the basis of a cost-benefit analysis where the cost is to the animals and the benefit is to the same species, another species, the environment or human society. This analysis is the baseline from which research projects can be refined to increase the benefit and reduce the animal cost. Research on companion animal species to the benefit of that species provides some interesting aspects of cost-benefit analysis. These include: the interface between clinical research in animals and the practise of veterinary science; the greater acceptance of animal research that benefits that animal species; and the allied benefits of companion animal research to society, companion animal owners, animal drug and food industries, and so forth. In many cases, these allied benefits are integral to the availability of resources to conduct the work. However, benefit to the companion animal species involved remains an important and welcome aspect of the use of these species in science.
动物在科学研究中使用的伦理的一个基本组成部分是基于成本效益分析的合理性，其中成本是对动物的，而效益是对同一物种、另一个物种、环境或人类社会的。这种分析是研究项目可以改进以增加效益和减少动物成本的基线。关于伴侣动物物种的研究为该物种提供了成本效益分析的一些有趣方面。这些方面包括：动物临床研究与兽医科学实践之间的接口；更能接受有益于该动物物种的动物研究；以及伴侣动物研究对社会、伴侣动物主人、动物药物和食品行业等方面的相关利益。在许多情况下，这些相关利益是开展这项工作的资源的重要组成部分。然而，对所涉及的伴侣动物物种的益处仍然是这些物种在科学研究中使用的一个重要和受欢迎的方面。
