Ali Alhasoon
Dr. Jessica Oxendine
English 1301 13 October 2017
The Miracle of Animal Research
Animals have been our companions for centuries. Since ancient Greek, humans have experimented on animals to study them, find answers, and treatments for diseases (Dey et al). Evaluating new chemicals to potentially cure diseases and help people survive longer. Much progress has been achieved by means of animal experimentation. While many people today strongly oppose it. However, I support animal testing simply because there are no real current absolute alternatives, also it’s doing more good than harm to animals. And most importantly it contributes tremendously to life-saving treatments.
First, science has advanced a lot since the early days of animal testing, today we have many alternative techniques like petri dish cultures, computer simulations, and many others to test drugs and treatments that complement animal testing. However, animals offer unique results that still elude other techniques. Some tests that involve complex reactions can only be demonstrated by a living organism. For example, Petri dish culture cannot give the same results that a living organism can when researching conditions like blood pressure and blindness (“California Biomedical”). Even a supercomputer cannot simulate how one part of the brain affect other parts of the body (Doke and Dhawale ?). Therefore many regulations were introduced by the federal Animal Welfare Act (AWA) to ensure maximum protection
In our ever-changing world the race to find the best technological advancements has never been higher. Progress within the medical field has changed drastically in the last 50 years. “Health is driven by the technologies that cure the unhealthy. These technologies need to advance along with an advancing society. In the last five decades new and improved, less expensive, medicine has been produced” (Leonard). Behind all this advanced medicine are the technologies, or creatures, that are used to test and improve the medicine. Animals are used to test the drugs and medicine that are in route to be produced for human use. “The term "Animal Testing" refers to procedures performed on living animals for purposes of research into basic biology and diseases, assessing the effectiveness of new medicinal products” (Humane Society). There are people who side with, and agree that animal testing improves the lives of humans, and there are individuals who believe the harm this research brings to animals is unreasonable and can be prevented.
As of 2015, 200 to 225 million animals are said to used in laboratory research for the biomedical industry annually worldwide. Typically defended by arguments of reliability and human health benefits, recently the question of ethics and values placed on animal testing have caused it to become a relevant and pressing topic that has been more widely discussed and debated. First off, the laboratory conditions that are instigated upon millions of animal models for the sake of medical research has been said to be unethical and cruel. Additionally, it has been debated that the results of animal experimentation are unreliable across a wide range of areas. Lastly, animal testing not only leads away from the direction of resources from more effective testing methods but also prolongs the duration of time humans may need to wait for an effective cure. Therefore, the potential benefits of animal experimentation are greatly outweighed by the risks and collective harm of humans and animals which is why resources should be directed towards more human-based testing procedures.
Animal testing is not only beneficial to human but also animals, at least to those who are not used in the experiments, such as pets and endangered species. Along with researching for new treatments and medicines for
Throughout the years the use of animals in medical research has been a hot debate around the world. Although animal testing may be cruel and inhumane, thousands of humans are saved thanks to the research that animals supply researchers with. Animals testing have taken over our knowledge of medicine and treatments to a whole different level. Animal testing also does this in a cheap and effective way. Without animals testing out knowledge wouldn’t be up to date, in other words animals’ testing is good.
For many years, the field of science has used animals in medical experiments worldwide, because of this innocent animals are being killed everyday. They are being tested with new drugs, new treatments, and by many makeup companies. Connecticut recently celebrated the passage of the “Beagle Freedom Law”, a law that requires laboratories to work with charities and rescue groups to find homes for research cats and dogs. Animals are being tested so humans do not have to be but animal tests do not reliably predict results in human beings, although animals are the closest thing to humans. Most experiments involving animals are flawed, wasting the lives of innocent animal subjects. Over 100 million animals suffer a year from testing. Testing animals is a lot more expensive than alternative methods and it is wasting government research dollars. Animal testing is not only a bad idea, but it is also inhuman and it should not be tolerated. The FDA should stop allowing animal testing. An animal does not give out the same results on a test than a human would.
To support or not support animal testing practices has been a long debated topic. Animals have been used in medical and cosmetic tests since the 1900s leading to numerous medical treatment breakthroughs and ensuring the safety of everyday products we use. Recently animal advocate groups have called for the abolishment of animal testing, causing a divide on whether or not to continue animal testing. In order to keep innovating new solutions for diseases that plague our communities and loved ones, allowing the use of animal testing to end preventable tragedies must occur.
The harmful use of animals in experiments is not only cruel and inhumane but also often ineffective. Animals do not get many of the human diseases that people do, such as major types of heart disease, many types of cancer, HIV, Parkinson’s disease, or schizophrenia. There have been past occasions where drugs passed on animals weren’t even safe. There is no excuse for animal testing in today’s techy world, there are now many alternatives for animal testing that would put an end to the pain and suffering endured by these innocent animals during human testing.
Animals can be ferocious and wild, but they can also be gentle and tame. Some are our pets, and some are powerful forces that are to be respected and admired. It is as easy to appreciate a loyal dog as it is to be in awe of a lion in its' natural habitat. But the truth that many people either don’t know or don’t appreciate is that animals are essential to human existence and have played a vital role in improving the quality of our lives. They have been providing us with answers to our most complex medical questions for decades. Their role in finding cures for diseases, treatments for illness, and product safety is immense. First, we will examine how animal testing has
For decades, people have been using animals as the go-to method for testing scientific breakthroughs, but not only is this concept outdated, it is a cruel punishment inflicted on harmless creatures. Animal cruelty is a well-known problem around the United States that is a growing issue for debate. A study has shown that less than 2% of human illnesses are found in animals and over 98% are ineffective on animals (Peta2). “The Food and Drug Administration reports that 92 out of every 100 drugs that pass animal tests fail in humans” (PETA). Not only does animal testing hurt the animals, it is a waste of time. These are just some of the reasons why animal testing is pointless and should be banned. It is time that the United States recognizes animal testing as unacceptable because of its negative effects on both humans and animals: it is inhumane for many reasons, it proves to be very expensive and costly, and it’s pointless on many accounts.
It is estimated that each year over 100 million animals in the United States are used for animal testing (ProCon.org, 2017). This is unlikely an underestimate as it is impossible to receive a correct count worldwide. Thousands of animals are to be euthanized from the complications they endure from testing. Animals are used to test scientific developments and commercial products. New medical and non-medical experiments are tested on animals to verify the harmfulness of new medications or the safety of a product that will be used on humans. Although the importance of animal testing brings more medical advancement over the years using fewer humans in experiments, it is still an expensive way of researching inaccurate results and at the same time, it is a practice of animal cruelty.
Animal testing has been going on for years; however, few question the ethics of testing medicines that would cure human diseases on animals. Various animals being tested in labs and cruelly force them to be a host of harmful diseases negatively affect their health. Animal testing is cruel and unusual punishment and should discontinue. Animal experimentation is a subject that many know of but don’t know much about. Although it is a big topic, people still don’t pay much attention to it because of their lack of information. Experimenting is a cruel process that causes many innocent animals to suffer. Many cases of violations towards experimenting have been found as well. Testing on animals is unnecessary when laying down the
In history, animal experimentation has played a significant important role in leading to new discoveries and human benefit. However, what many people tend to forget are the numbers of animal subjects that have suffered serious harm during the process of experimentation. Each day across America innocent animals are used as test subjects for products that have little to no relevance importance. Animal testing has had many negative issues arise in society in a negative way. Debating over the animal rights movement has raised many questions and concerns for years. There is an ongoing controversy regarding if companies should stop testing their products on animals. Although animal research has been the cause of many medical breakthroughs, is it morally and ethically right to put animals in these kinds of situations? This is one of the underlying questions that must be solved before it is too late. When considering how truly reliable the results of animal test are, and the expense of testing will help bring new light to the problem. By simply passing a policy will not only address this issue, will help better products and medicine in the future.
In 2012, a 24-year-old art student named Jacqueline Traide was subjected to animal testing methods in a Lush store window. Passerby – as well as the rest of the world, after this story was spread – were baffled and sickened by how this young woman was treated, enduring being pulled around by a rope, physical restraint, having cosmetics poured into her eyes, being shaven and more (Harris). She participated in this appalling display to portray the reality of animal testing tortures through our own kind, rather than other species, presenting the question: if this treatment is not acceptable for humans, why is it acceptable for animals?
Throughout history, beginning as early as 500 BC, animals have been used to test out products that will later be utilized by humans (“Animal Testing” 4), what isn’t publicly discussed about is the way it will leave the animals after the process is done. Many innocent rabbits, monkeys, mice, and even popular pets such as dogs are harmed during the testing application of cosmetics, medicine, perfumes, and many other consumer products (Donaldson 2). Nevertheless, there are many people whom support the scandal because "it is a legal requirement to carry out animal testing to ensure they are safe and effective” for human benefit (Drayson). The overall question here is should it even be an authorized form of experimentation in the United States, or anywhere else? The fact of the matter is that there are alternatives to remove animals out of the equation for good (“Alternatives to Animal Testing” 1). They are cheaper, and less invasive than the maltreatment of the 26 million innocent animals that are subjected to the heartlessness of testing each year (“Animal Testing” 4). With all things considered, animal testing should be looked upon as animal cruelty due to the harsh effects from the many products tested on the innocent.
Observation and experimentation are how we as humans have been able to learn more about ourselves and the world and universe we live in. One of the most common methods of experimentation is animal testing. However, there are controversies surrounding animal testing. There are some that believe animal testing to be cruel and overdone, advocating for the eradication of the practice and further reliance alternative research methods. Groups like People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) and other animal rights advocates fall in this category. There are some that believe animal testing to be an invaluable resource and should continue, such as some scientists and research groups. However, there appears to me to be a consensus that is closer to the middle: the belief and understanding that while there are benefits to animal testing, there are flaws in the practice and there should be changes to increase its efficacy while we simultaneously explore alternate testing methods. Many scientists and the National Institute of Health (NIH) subscribe to this idea. I aim to explore the benefits, problems, and implications of animal testing in order to reach a more informed conclusion about a position that is most validated by the information I have used.