The injustice of excluding laboratory rats, mice, and birds from the Animal Welfare Act

A major shortcoming of the Animal Welfare Act is its exclusion of the speci es most-used in experimentation-rats, mice, and birds. Considerations of ju stice dictate that extension of the law to these three species is the moral ly right thing to do. A brief history of how these species came to be exclu ded from the laws protecting laboratory animals is also provided, as well a s discussion of the implications and significance of expanding the law.