End testing on dogs and other animals for development of products for human use
121,854 people signed this petition to the UK Parliament after it opened on 31 October 2025; it closed on 30 April 2026. The Government responded on 13 November 2025. MPs debated it in Westminster Hall on 27 April 2026.
The petition
The petition's creator is not named in the Petitions site's published record. Quoted in full from the UK Parliament petitions site.
End testing on dogs and other animals for development of products for human use
Many tests on dogs and other animals cause unimaginable suffering. They can translate poorly into effective treatments and cures for human diseases or provide safety and efficacy data that is not relevant to humans.
Over 90% of drugs that appear safe and effective in animals do not go on to receive FDA, USA approval.
In 2023, 2,605,528 animals were used for the first time in scientific procedures incl. 2,477 dogs & 1,815 primates. Animals are bred & housed in bleak conditions and then used in tests that can cause immense physical and psychological suffering. We think government-led action is required to radically divert funding and evolve policy to implement the use of existing and the development of new Non-Animal Methodologies (NAMS). We believe the current testing paradigm is failing both animals and humans and is holding back medical advances.
The Government's response
The Government published its response on 13 November 2025. Its summary:
The use of animals for development of products for human use remains necessary. The Government therefore does not agree to end testing on dogs and other animals for testing and research purposes.
The opening 391 words of the 746-word response:
Our published Replacing Animals in Science strategy (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/replacing-animals-in-science-strategy) will accelerate the roll out of safe and effective alternatives to phase out animal testing in all but exceptional circumstances, delivering on our manifesto pledge to “partner with scientists, industry, and civil society as we work towards the phasing out of animal testing". By streamlining the process for bringing alternatives forward, the Government will accelerate our transition away from animal use, while continuing to support crucial research and innovation.
Scientific advances make the prospects for change better than they have ever been, and we are supporting the acceleration of advances in biomedical science and technologies, to reduce reliance on the use of animals in research. This includes stem cell research, cell culture systems that mimic the function of human organs, imaging and new computer modelling and AI techniques based on very large data sets.
The strategy is backed by £75m of funding to accelerate safe and effective alternative methods, including £30m for the UK Centre for the Validation of Alternative Methods (UKCVAM) – a new centre to make the path to regulatory approval for new alternatives as straightforward as possible. It also includes £30m for a preclinical translational models hub – an institute that will bring together data, technology and expertise to promote collaboration between researchers.
The strategy includes a target that aims to use validated alternative methods to reduce the use of dogs and non-human primates in dedicated pharmacokinetic (PK) studies for human medicines by at least 35% by 2030. The strategy also sets a target to aim to use validated alternative methods to reduce the use of non-human primates and dogs in dedicated cardiovascular safety studies by at least 50% by 2030.
The strategy builds on our current approach, to actively support and fund the development and dissemination of techniques that replace, reduce and refine the use of animals in research (the 3Rs), and to ensure that the UK continues to have a robust regulatory system for licensing animal studies and enforcing legal standards. The UK has a world leading reputation for the delivery of the 3Rs. UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) provides core funding for the National Centre for 3Rs (NC3Rs), which works nationally and internationally to drive the uptake of 3Rs technologies and ensure that advances in the 3Rs are reflected in policy, practice and regulations on animal research.
Read the full response on the petitions site.
Where the signatures came from
Signatures came from 650 constituencies. Measured against each constituency's electorate at the 2024 general election, the most came from Cities of London and Westminster, with 5.4 signatures per 1,000 electors (395 in all).
120,105 of the signatures were from the UK and 1,749 from elsewhere, by the location signers gave.
| Constituency | Signatures | Electorate, July 2024 | Per 1,000 electors |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cities of London and Westminster | 395 | 73,369 | 5.4 |
| North Norfolk | 340 | 71,438 | 4.8 |
| Newton Abbot | 340 | 73,885 | 4.6 |
| Blaydon and Consett | 317 | 70,487 | 4.5 |
| Castle Point | 315 | 71,026 | 4.4 |
| North Durham | 315 | 73,226 | 4.3 |
| Huntingdon | 336 | 79,074 | 4.2 |
| Brentwood and Ongar | 306 | 75,352 | 4.1 |
| Central Devon | 300 | 75,385 | 4.0 |
| Exmouth and Exeter East | 319 | 79,983 | 4.0 |
| Region | Signatures |
|---|---|
| South East | 18,685 |
| North West | 14,703 |
| East of England | 14,136 |
| South West | 12,100 |
| London | 10,628 |
| West Midlands | 10,156 |
| East Midlands | 9,082 |
| Yorkshire and The Humber | 8,577 |
| Scotland | 7,522 |
| Wales | 6,041 |
| North East | 5,278 |
| Northern Ireland | 1,873 |
Debate in Parliament
MPs debated the petition in Westminster Hall on 27 April 2026. Read the debate in Hansard. House of Commons Library debate pack.
Source and receipt
- https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/736578.jsonUK Parliament Petitions API · read 2026-10-15 · SHA-256
e91ffb075606a2b1… - The petition on petition.parliament.uk
The petition's words are its creator's and the response is the Government's; this site quotes both and gives no view on either. Signature counts can still change while a petition is open. To report an error, send a correction request.