New Home Office figures show sharp increases in the use of dogs, cats, birds and primates, prompting fresh calls for the Government to accelerate its promised move away from animal experimentation.
More than 2.5 million scientific procedures involving living animals were carried out in Great Britain last year, according to annual statistics published by the Home Office.
The figures record a total of 2.54 million scientific experimentation involving living animals in 2025, alongside 2.46 million animals used in procedures for the first time. Behind the numbers, campaigners say, are millions of animals harmed and, in most cases, ultimately killed in laboratories.
The data points to rising use of several species. The use of birds rose by 14 per cent, making birds the third most-used group of animals in experimental procedures for the first time. The number of procedures involving dogs increased by 9 per cent, cats by 11 per cent, non-human primates by 15 per cent, and horses by 5 per cent. The number of horses entering scientific procedures for the first time also rose sharply, from 60 to 100 animals.
Primates, rabbits and pigs
Some 1,845 primates were used for the first time in 2025, of which 1,755 were Cynomolgus monkeys, with 1,959 procedures carried out specifically for regulatory tests. The animal rights organisation Animal Aid, which published its response to the figures, points to footage from an April exposé in which monkeys were force-fed substances through a process known as oral gavage, and were restrained in “macaque chairs” while forced to inhale substances.
A total of 5,284 rabbits were used in experiments, of which 4,005 procedures were regulatory tests. The exposé showed pregnant rabbits restrained in transparent containers with only their ears exposed, allowing substances to be slowly injected into the vein in the ear.
Among the most striking images from the exposé, the charity says, was a pig with eight deep square wounds cut into the flesh of its back, the raw exposed area being flushed with a substance. In total, 2,355 pigs were used and 1,360 were harmed for regulatory procedures.
Beagles and rats
The figures record that 1,640 beagles were harmed in 2025, with 2,101 regulatory tests. Footage showed young dogs attempting to shake masks from their faces – masks which delivered substances they were made to inhale – or having a tube forced down the throat and into the stomach.
Rats remained the most heavily used of the species highlighted, with 125,202 used in laboratories last year and 77,678 procedures carried out as regulatory tests. Animal Aid says the animals may be gavaged or held in tubes, unable to turn or reverse, with their noses exposed to chemical vapours in an “inhalation tower” where they may be held for hours.
A total of 11,213 procedures were the notorious LD50 (Lethal Dose 50 per cent) and LC50 (Lethal Concentration 50 per cent) tests. The LD50 test, originally designed in 1927, involves giving live animals increasing doses of a substance until half of them die.
‘An absolute betrayal of compassion’
Alex Harman, Campaign Manager at Animal Aid, said: “The reality of what happens to these sentient individuals inside British laboratories is an absolute betrayal of compassion. To force terrified monkeys into restraint chairs, slice deep wounds into the backs of pigs, and pump toxins into the stomachs of young beagles is a form of industrialised torture that should have been left in the dark ages. Behind every single statistic in this report is a hidden victim who lived a short life of terror”.
Michelle Masterton-Smith, Head of Campaigns at Animal Aid, said: “These figures represent animal suffering on an industrial scale. Behind every number is an animal who suffered unseen by the public. In the wake of April’s shocking toxicity testing exposé, today’s statistics are a stark reminder that millions of animals continue to remain trapped in British laboratories – while the move away from animal experiments remains far too slow.”
Pressure at Westminster
The publication comes as pressure grows in Parliament. A new Early Day Motion (EDM 465) was tabled on 29 June 2026 by Neil Duncan-Jordan, and has now been signed by 24 MPs. It calls for a halt to all new service licences, a review of existing service licences, and for the Government to urgently deliver its Replacing Animals in Science Strategy.
Animal Aid is a UK-based animal rights organisation founded in 1977. Since its inception, it has campaigned to end the use of animals in experiments and to replace animal research with modern, human-relevant non-animal methods. It also campaigns on issues including animal farming, wildlife protection and animal rights.
