Live Animal Use

K-12 Education

In K-12 education, animals are first normally introduced as classroom pets, which can present issues with the care and welfare of different species. Schools also use chicks, frogs, fish, rats, mice, and insects in invasive genetics, physiology, psychology, and science fair projects, which raise even greater humane concerns. Sadly, animals used in live experiments at the pre-college level are not afforded legal protections under the Animal Welfare Act (AWA). However, organizations such as the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) and National Association of Biology Teachers (NABT) have created specific recommendations for the use and care of animals in K-12 education to address this lack of regulation. The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) encourages the use of alternatives to live animals for pre-college classroom instruction; it suggests that the same instructional goals can be accomplished through other activities such as web-based tutorials, mock physiology datasets, and observational field studies or trips. 

Animals in the Classroom/Classroom Pets  

Making the decision to introduce an animal into a classroom should never be taken lightly. Serious issues can arise, including improper animal care for specific species, mishandling by students, and neglect over weekends and holidays. Animals in classrooms can cause health concerns for students and financial burdens on teachers. The National Science Teaching Association offers extensive guidelines for classroom pets to help ensure that animals are properly cared for and treated humanely, responsibly, and ethically.     

One independent study found that some teachers believe classroom pets have educational, leadership, and character-building value. However, the same study identified the many challenges mentioned above. (American Humane Association, July 2015) Exposing children to animals can certainly provide enrichment to their lives, but there are many ways that teachers can introduce animals to their students without bringing them into the classroom. For example, teachers can take students outside to observe animals in their natural habitats, which also builds observational and data collection skills. Teachers can plan trips to animal sanctuaries or local wildlife refuges. They can also use webcams and schedule online virtual tours so animals can be seen enjoying natural behaviors in a habitat instead of being confined in a small cage or aquarium.  

Chick Hatching  

Some elementary schools hatch chicks as an annual science project. Sadly, chick hatching often results in the neglect, suffering, and death of these baby birds. Chick hatching can also be harmful to the health of young children participating in these projects. In fact, the Center for Disease Control recommends that children less than 5 years old do not have any contact with baby chicks, and that older individuals pay close attention to hygiene in order to prevent transmission of Salmonella. ​(Salmonella Outbreaks Linked to Backyard Poultry, 2022)​ 

Although the project is meant to teach students about embryonic growth, it is not necessary to use live birds to accomplish this. The lack of proper care and attention to eggs during the incubation period can result in chicks suffering deformities and/or death. Chicks are often not provided with veterinary care after they hatch, and once the project is completed, teachers then must find homes for the animals or have them euthanized. Animal shelters are overwhelmed with unwanted cats and dogs and are usually unable to accept chicks, and the birds are often not allowed in suburban neighborhoods. Farms rarely take the chicks because of the danger of infecting their flocks with disease, making it likely that the chicks will be killed if no home is available for them. A wonderful humane alternative that can be used in place of traditional chick hatching projects is the Hatching Kindness Project - a curriculum unit developed by Kansas-based farmed animal sanctuary Shy 38 Inc. and Animalearn. 

Check out our Chick Hatching Fact Sheet too!

Genetics Experiments  

Fruit flies are often used in high school biological research and genetics classes because they are small insects with a short life cycle, are cheap to purchase, and easy to keep in large numbers. In some biology classes, they are used to examine how organisms arise from a  fertilized egg. Following the experiment, the fruit flies are commonly killed using an alcohol solution. However, there have been instances where fruit flies were released outside of the science classroom environment and caused health risks in schools. Research shows that fruit flies can transfer germs from a dirty surface onto a clean one. Some of the bacteria they may carry include salmonella, E. coli, and listeria, which are all linked to food poisoning. ​(Black, Hinrichs, Barcay, & Gardner, 2018)​ Instead of using fruit flies for genetics, educators could instead use plants, like corn, to conduct such experiments. Many students ethically object to the unnecessary killing of any living being to study science, so they do not want to participate in these types of experiments.  

Science Fairs  

Science fairs are terrific ways for pre-college students to display their knowledge of science, but they do not need to include live animals. When selecting a topic to study for science fairs, students may be encouraged by teachers to use animals in experiments that involve physical pain or stress, psychological stress, surgical procedures, force-feeding, drug addiction, and/or radiation. Not only do these experiments often cause great harm to animals, but they also waste resources and animal life and produce little or no new information because they duplicate past studies. Since these students usually have no training in the humane care, use, and handling of animals, these projects can be especially harmful for the animals involved. Some science fairs, such as the prestigious International Science and Engineering Fair, have issued strict guidelines in regard to student use of animals, but other science fairs still encourage animal use.