It is estimated that from 50—100 million vertebrate (having a backbone or spinal column) animals are used annually worldwide for scientific research or drugs and products testing, most of who are either killed during the testing or euthanized shortly thereafter.  These experiments, largely un-regulated in law and generally not included in yearly statistics, are carried out inside Universities, medical schools, pharmaceutical companies, farms, defense-research establishments, and commercial facilities that provide animal testing services to industry.  The majority of the animals used are bred specifically for research, while a number of them are caught in the wild, or supplied by animals pounds.  Cats and dogs may also be stolen from owners.