There has been an ongoing debate on the ethics of animal experimentation. Animal testing for scientific use is a very controversial issue because many people feel that it is cruel and inhumane. These thoughts on the issue make it a very important topic because it makes us think of what would be considered as cruel and inhumane treatment of the animals and also it begs the question if all animals should be protected under certain laws. I believe that animal testing is wrong. I think that if it is absolutely necessary that we use them, then we should find more humane ways to do it. Other then that I feel that we should use alternative ways for testing products and medicines.
We have come a long way in the advancement of science, and there has been alternative ways discovered in order to test a product or medicine that does not involve the use of animals. Some alternative ways involve testing something in a petri dish that has human cells cultured in it. This allows tests to be done a lot faster, because you can then test more chemicals. Since it is from human skin than the results are much more reliable in comparison to the tests done on an animal.
In addition to being more reliable and fast, by using alternative ways to test, it is much cheaper in the long run. Animal tests are costly and a waste of government money. Currently the mass majority of animals that are being tested in labs are not protected under any law. The Animal Welfare Act (AWA) is the primary law that covers laboratory animals in the United States and it only applies to, “species such as dogs, cats, primates, guinea pigs, hamsters, rabbits, and (some) farm animals. Rats, mice, birds and all invertebrate species are not protected by the AWA and represent 95 percent or more of the total number of animals used in experimentation” (Journal on Medicine). This is an incredibly high number and is a big reason why change needs to happen soon. The drugs used on the animals are not necessarily safe and often lead to death. Most laboratories kill the animals at the end of the experiment, and this is an example of what people mean by cruel and inhumane treatment because people treat these living creatures as just disposable objects.
We have come a long way in the advancement of science, and there has been alternative ways discovered in order to test a product or medicine that does not involve the use of animals. Some alternative ways involve testing something in a petri dish that has human cells cultured in it. This allows tests to be done a lot faster, because you can then test more chemicals. Since it is from human skin than the results are much more reliable in comparison to the tests done on an animal.
In addition to being more reliable and fast, by using alternative ways to test, it is much cheaper in the long run. Animal tests are costly and a waste of government money. Currently the mass majority of animals that are being tested in labs are not protected under any law. The Animal Welfare Act (AWA) is the primary law that covers laboratory animals in the United States and it only applies to, “species such as dogs, cats, primates, guinea pigs, hamsters, rabbits, and (some) farm animals. Rats, mice, birds and all invertebrate species are not protected by the AWA and represent 95 percent or more of the total number of animals used in experimentation” (Journal on Medicine). This is an incredibly high number and is a big reason why change needs to happen soon. The drugs used on the animals are not necessarily safe and often lead to death. Most laboratories kill the animals at the end of the experiment, and this is an example of what people mean by cruel and inhumane treatment because people treat these living creatures as just disposable objects.
This leads to the animals dying for no reason, “Since the majority of animals used in biomedical research are killed during or after the experiments, and since many suffer during the studies, the lives and wellbeing of animals are routinely sacrificed for poor research”. These tests cause animals physical and psychological pain, which is why more humane treatment and more laws protecting the animals safety is needed. In some cases of medicine, animal testing may be necessary, so if this is the case then we need better laws to protect animals from being treated cruelly. The majority of testing being done on animals for things like beauty products and other research, should be tested by using alternative options.
This debate on Animal Testing has been going on for quite some time, and I feel like if we can not decide whether it is okay to do it or not then we should meet in the middle. I feel that animal testing is wrong and more humane and cruelty free ways should exist whenever it is being done. If testing on animals is the only option for things like medicine, then we need to find humane ways to go about it; but if animal testing is not the only option and the testing can be done through alternative options then animal testing should not be allowed.
http://animal-testing.procon.org
This debate on Animal Testing has been going on for quite some time, and I feel like if we can not decide whether it is okay to do it or not then we should meet in the middle. I feel that animal testing is wrong and more humane and cruelty free ways should exist whenever it is being done. If testing on animals is the only option for things like medicine, then we need to find humane ways to go about it; but if animal testing is not the only option and the testing can be done through alternative options then animal testing should not be allowed.
http://animal-testing.procon.org