A poll in Spain addressing public perception regarding animals has found that one in two people supports the use of animals in research. 

The BBVA Foundation asked 2.020 people over eighteen years old, defining age and gender quotas to reach a representative group, their views on animal rights and issues associated with animals, including the opinion on research using animals.  

When asked to rate the severity of animal-related issues — including abandonment, farm animal welfare and the use of animals in research — respondents were less concerned with the latter. Overall, 16% said it was not a problem at all and 34% viewed it as a minor problem. Perceptions varied by gender and age: 43% of women held these views, compared with 57% of men. The proportion was highest among people aged 65 and over (57%) and lowest among those aged 25-34 (43%). 

The acceptance of animal use varied depending on the purpose. In a scale where 0 indicated “completely unacceptable” and 10 indicated “completely acceptable”, research using animals for veterinary purposes had the highest level of acceptance (7.3), followed by animal use for food purposes (6.7), research to improve human health (6.5), research to increase knowledge about life (6.3) and to improve food quality (5.1). People considered unacceptable the use of animals for entertainment purposes such as sport hunting, local festivities and circus shows, ranging from 2.1 to 1.6, to produce clothes (1.1) andfor cosmetics testing (1.6), which is not allowed in the European Union. 

Lluís Montoliu, vice-director of the EARA member Spanish National Centre for Biotechnology, said to El País: “It is possible to research with animals, as long as it is justified and its objective is to improve the quality of health of people,” adding that while scientific advancements can reduce the use of animals in research, they are still indispensable.