Drug testing on Beagles

I have never been comfortable with animals being used for drug testing. This article doesn't say whether this is for human benefit or canine benefit..... I am assuming it's for human drugs otherwise there wouldn't be the campaign.
I do however get a bit bemused by testing drugs on canines, they do get very similar illnessess to us but their genetic make up is so different to ours and usually to get the results scientists are looking for they have to pump enormous amounts of the drug into the animal, amounts you would never have to put into a human for a desired positive response rate. They are not always looking for a safe dosage that effects a cure or a remission rate, they are looking at what level causes cancer, stroke, heart attack, organ failure etc.
It's a bit like one of the drugs I use at work, intravenous Bisphosphonates for treating osteoporosis, in phenominally high doses they can cause osteosarcoma ( a form of cancer) in rats, well there is no way on earth any human would be given that amount of the drug in their lifetime, so why give it to the rats. If you are going to test on animals test the maximum dose that a human would ever receive in their lifetime and use those results for clinical trials.
I wished sometimes vets would respond to these article so we can get their take on it all.

http://www.mailonsunday.co.uk/news/article-2170233/Campaign-fight-drug-testing-big-hearted-trusting-beagles.html

littlewid-x-

Like you LW, I've also never been entirely comfortable with this. Yes I can see the benifit of testing both for animals, and humans, but I did'nt realise that they tested drugs to the high levels you have said. It really does'nt make sense to test them for the effects for longer than a human would be taking them in a lifetime. I would have thought by now they would have identified better ways of testing. The other very sad thing for Beagles as it says in the article, is that they are pack Dogs, and need the company of others of their kind. I also agree that its time we heard from the vetinary proffesion.
WS

I've always hated this one - beagles are such wonderful dogs and I know drug testing goes on in a million different ways but why must it be done on any animal? Far too naive to assume there is another way I realise, but it really saddens me that it still happens.

Lai