Every year, an estimated 30 million animals are used in biomedical experiments and research projects (“Update: Animal Testing”). Rabbits, rats, guinea pigs, dogs, cats, monkeys, frogs, and other animals are blinded, scalded, maimed, genetically manipulated, forced to eat chemicals, and killed in the name of science, cosmetics companies, household products, government agencies, educational institutions, and scientific centers. Substances people use every day, such mascara, eye shadow, shampoo, and cleaning supplies are often tested on animals. Vivisection on animals begin at least as early as the Greek and Romans (“Research Animals”). Rene Descartes was a French philosopher who thought that animals did not have any thoughts and were like unfeeling machines. As early as the 18th and 19th centuries, moral issues were discussed by philosophers about animal vivisection (“Research Animals”). At the same time, according to “Research Animals,” “The 19th century also witnessed organized efforts from animal welfare organizations to achieve legislation against animal cruelty in the United Kingdom and United States.” Finally, after many years of trying to restrict the use of animals for research, in 1876, the United Kingdom reduced the number of animals used for research and the United States reduced it around a year 1890 (“Research Animals”). Even after restricting the use of animals in laboratories, vivisection still continues and many of animals are suffering and living a horrible life. Today, animal testing is a world-wide billion dollar industry. According to “Update: Animal Testing,” “So-called breeding companies, such as the Wilmington, Mass.-based Charles River Laboratories Inc., create genetically modified laboratory animals, which they sell to universities, drug companies and medical research firms. In fiscal year 2004, Charles River Labs reported a net income of nearly $90 million.” Even though it is well-known that animals can feel pain, supporters say that animal testing is necessary because it helps with genetic and behavioral studies, developmental biology, biomedical research, and drug testing. However, testing on animals should be not continued because it is cruel, unnecessary, does not give accurate results, and is morally wrong.

To begin, animal testing is cruel. It is a form of slavery, for example animals live all their lives in very small cages without space to walk around and no stimuli (Miller). Those animals are not able to see sun or grass and have a taste of freedom. Unfortunately, animals are treated likes slaves for medical and research purposes.

In addition, animals testing cause a lot of pain for the animals. “Even animals who are covered by the law can be burned, shocked, poisoned, isolated, starved, forcibly, restrained, addicted to drugs, and brain damaged-no procedures or experiments…are prohibited by law” (“Using Animals”). It is unbelievable that humans can torture animals. For instance, there are many horrible eye irritancy tests, and animals do not receive any anesthesia. According to “Peta,“ “In these tests, a liquid, flake, granule, or powdered substance is dropped into the eyes of a group of albino rabbits. The animals are often immobilized in stocks from which only heads protrude. They usually receive no anesthesia during the tests.” These kinds of tests may last 7 to 18 days. The reactions are unbelievably painful. For example, the tests can cause bleeding, swollen eyelids, ulceration, inflamed irises, blindness, and massive deterioration. Rabbits can break their necks because they are trying to escape during these tests. Their eyelids has to be open and held with clips (“Peta”).

Another example of a cruel test is the acute toxicity test. “In these tests, a substance is forced by tube into the animals stomachs or through holes cut into their throats. It may also be injected under the skin, into a vein, or into the lining of the abdomen; mixed into lab chow; inhaled through a gas mask; introduced into the eyes, rectum, or vagina”(“Peta”). Reactions from this experiments may be diarrhea, skin eruptions, bleeding from the mouth, eye, or nose, abnormal posture, and labored breathing. Sadly, animals can feel the pain and stress, but they are still treated like objects. Also, animals living in laboratory environment have stress all their life. According to “Using Animals,” animals in laboratories are treated as an object without any rights, they are forced to live in the cages, psychologically traumatized, and socially isolated. “ Millions of animals suffer and die needlessly every year in the United States as they become subjects for medical testing and other horrible experiments,” (“Using Animals”). Animals have feelings and should not live their lives in slavery, suffering from pain, stress, and fear.

Second, animal testing is unnecessary. According to “Peta,” many household products, like cleaners and cosmetics, are still tested on animals to check how safe they are for humans, even though household products and cosmetics are not required by law to be tested on animals. So in this case, animal testing is not necessary.

However, some argue that animal testing is necessary and gives useful results. In the twentieth century, according to Hajar, using animals for drug testing became important. Between 1937 and 1960 hundreds of people died and around 10,000 children were born with missing limbs or malformations because drugs were not tested on animals (Hajar). According to Poste, animal studies were a very important medical upgrade, and it is still necessary to continue for testing vaccines, drugs, and new surgical procedures.

However, animal testing does not give accurate results. For example, diseases that occur naturally in humans are never identical when artificially created in animals, so the results from disease experiments become more unlikely to be correct (“Using Animals”). In this case, many animals are dying in extreme pain without reason.

In addition, animals living in stress give misleading results. According to Miller, “The mental state of the lab animals can also produce misleading results. If the animals are in a state of extreme distress from being trapped in tiny cages their whole lives with no stimuli and no room to move around, it can induce their various bodily systems to behave differently.” A final point is that new technology exists that makes animal testing unnecessary. According to “The Humane Society of the United States” there is around 50 various methods expanded what can be used instead testing on animals. For example, “using blood from human volunteers to test for the presence of fever-causing contaminants in intravenous medicines can save hundreds of thousands of rabbits each year from traditional “pyrogen” tests” (“The Humane Society of the United States”). So why do humane still using rabbits for those kind of tests when is not necessary? Another example what can save rabbits according to “The Humane Society of the United States” is “The Bovine Corneal Opacity and Permeability Test and Isolated Chicken Eye Test use eyes from animals slaughtered for the meat industry instead of live rabbits to detect chemicals and products that are severely irritating to the eyes.” Computer simulation of experiments is also a reliable source so why animals are used when there is more logical solution that can be use alternative methods?

Finally, animal testing is morally wrong. Do humane have the right to make animals suffer so that humans do not have to? Is it ok for humans to make animals live their entire lives in tiny cages, in isolation, pain, and stress, never to see the sun, or smell the grass, never to have a taste of freedom? “Jeremy Bentham, animal welfare advocates claim that the morally relevant question about animals is not “Can they reason? Nor Can they talk? But, Can they suffer?” And, animals do in fact suffer, and do in fact feel pain” (Animal testing and Ethics). Is it not hypercritical for humans who are want their own rights but on the same time they are mistreat animals? Why animals should not receive the same rights as humans? According to “Animal Testing and Ethics” “Restricting respect for life to a certain species is to perform an injustice similar to racism or sexism. Like the racist who holds that respect for other races does not count as much as respect for his or her own race, those who support painful experimentation on animals assume that respect for other species does not count as much as respect for members of his or her own species.”

Using animals for testing and other horrible experiments should be not continued because it is cruel and unnecessary and does not give accurate results. Also, it is morally wrong. Nobody deserve to be a slave, living in very small cage all life, having extremely pain, being in stress, and always be treating like an object. The truth is that many animal experiments are not only horrible for the animals, but also very unreliable for humans. So what is the point testing on animals then? There is many alternatives to animal tests which are more logical, for example, replacing the current animals tests with computer simulation can save many animals lives. Refining the current methods can reduce pain and distress for the animal as well as improve current procedures. Why humans do not want to stop testing on animals then? Answer is easy;

It is world-wide billion dollar industry. United Stated is a civilized society where all humans has rights. This basic right is live and let others live. Humans has no rights to torture the weaker creature who reside the planet earth just because they can not to speak or defend themselves. Animals too feel the pain and stress. All living beings, no matter what kind, humans or animals want the same thing, and share the same form of life. Everyone wants to be happy and feel pleasure, and avoid pain, and suffering. World will be much better and more beautiful when no animal will be locked or kept against its will, or abused, or tortured, or killed, by and for the benefits of humans. Animals all over the planet should be free to enjoy their lives in peace on which ever way they choose, with or without humans. This is what is called animal freedom!

Works Cited

“Alternative to Animal Tests.” The Humane Society The Humane Society of the United States

2012. 11 Dec. 2012.

Andre, Claire, and Manuel Velasquez. “Of Cures and Creatures Great and Small.” Santa Clara

University. Markkula Center for Applied Ethics 2010. 11 Dec. 2012.

Miller, Sarah A. “Animal Experimentation Is Unnecessary.” Animal Rights (2005): n. pag. Gale

Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 9 Oct. 2012.

People for The Ethical Treatment of Animals. “Product Testing on Animals Is Cruel and

Unnecessary.” Animal Experimentation (2000): n. pag. Gale Opposing Viewpoints In

Contex. Web. 9 Oct. 2012.

Poste, George. “Alternative Testing Cannot Replace Animal Experimentation.” Animal

Experimentation (2004): n. pag. Gale Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 9 Oct. 2012.

Rachel Hajar, “Animal Testing and Medicine.” Heart Views 12.1 (2011): 42. Academic OneFile.

Web. 6 Oct. 2012.

“Research Animals. ” Animal Rights (2011):h.pag. Opposing Viewpoints. Web. 25 Sept. 2012.

Rowan, Andrew N. “ Ethical Review and The Animal Care and Use Committee. “ The Hasting

Center Report” (1990): S19+. Academic OneFile. Web. 11 Sept. 2012.

Thompson, Tamara. “Using Animals for Medical Testing Is Unethical and Unnecessary.” The

Ethics of Medical Testing (2012): n. pag. Gale Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 25

Sep. 2012

“Update Animal Testing.” Issues & Controversies On File (2006): n. pag. Facts On File News

Services. Web. 6 Sept. 2012.

Aldona Dziwosz
Author: Aldona Dziwosz

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