This is just more proof that a fundamental distinction exists between human psychology and consciousness compared to all animal species. For most scientists, however, "animal studies continue to be necessary for advancing human and animal health and have played a vital role in virtually every major medical advance" (Poste 2009)
Congress gave protected status for household pets against use in medical experiments, and later amendments set standards for all animals used in research, except for mice and rats. This 1966 law was "a very minimal and in many ways incoherent attempt to regulate animal research," and even though the 1985 amendments "did much to render coherent the ethic for laboratory animals," it remains inadequate (Rollin 2006)
In the past, before vaccines and antibiotics exited, the majority of people did not survive to age sixty, nor were there any effective treatments for cancer, heart disease and diabetes. Animal testing has indeed "helped scientists develop lifesaving treatments for deadly diseases such as AIDS, cancer and diabetes," as well as vaccines for mumps, measles and polio (Watson 4)