Is animal experimentation acceptable if it helps animals, too, by advancing veterinary science?

This is like asking whether it’s acceptable to experiment on poor children to benefit rich ones. The point is not whether animal experimentation can be useful to animals or humans; the point is that we should not inflict suffering on those who are at our mercy. Veterinary medicine, like human medicine, is increasingly dependent upon studies that don’t harm some animals in an effort to help others. These include computer modeling, cell research, epidemiological research, and clinical studies designed to help animals who are already ill.