Around the world, millions of scientists conduct their studies by testing their research on animals. Many people believe that experimenting on animals is crucial to the advancement of medical discoveries. Studies show however, that animal experimentation is brutal and unnecessary. There are alternatives though: “replacement, reduction, and refinement” (Howard 2).
To begin, the experimental use of animals in medical studies is unethical. These creatures are confined in isolated cages where they are deprived of necessary environmental elements. It is not uncommon that they undergo ghastly methods of experimentation; including the inhalation of toxic fumes, the burning of their skin, and the crushing of their spinal cords ("People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals"). This information sheds light on the grim realities of animal experimentation. These creatures are living, breathing beings that do not deserve to be treated as they are nothing more than lab objects. Not only are they ripped from their natural habitats, but are forced to endure an irreversible psychological trauma . To put it in perspective, imagine a six-month-old child being taken from their parents and sent to a lab to undergo scientific experiments that could ultimately result in
At this moment, tens of millions of animals, such as rats, rabbits, monkeys, cats, and dogs, plus more, are being locked inside cages in labs all throughout the country due to being used in horrific experiments. These animal experiments are used to develop and enhance new drugs and to test the safety of products before being used on humans. Many of these experiments inflict pain to the animals and decrease their satisfactory of life. More than a hundred million animals suffer and die every year in the U.S. from medical education and clinical experiments, as well as merciless chemical, drug, food, and cosmetic tests. Animals also suffer and die in classroom biology experiments and dissection.
Did you know that animals that are found in laboratories are not all legally protected? There are a couple organizations provided by Legal Animal Defense Fund that protect animals from being illegally used, such as Association for Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care (AAALAC) and mandatory Institutional Animal Care and Use Committees (IACUC). AAALAC is an organization that promotes the humane treatments of animals used in experiments. On their website they explain that animal research is known as controversial topic. “But like others in the animal welfare
Animal testing enthusiast explains how research has enabled the expansion of many life-saving treatments for both humans and animals. Enlightening that there are no alternative methods for researching complete living organisms, totaling that there are strict regulations to prevent abuse of animals within laboratories (Lawrie, 2014).
Worldwide, the first law to regulate animal experimentation was the Cruelty to Animals Act in 1876. It established a central governing body that reviewed all animal use in research. After that, numerous countries in Europe adopted regulations regarding research with animals. In all animal research, prior to undergoing any examinations on animals, researchers must demonstrate that there is no alternative to using animals and that the likely benefits of the science outweigh any potential
frogs, dogs, cats, rabbits, hamsters, guinea pigs, monkeys, monkeys, fish, and birds, are killed in U.S. laboratories for biology lessons, medical training, curiosity- driven experimentation, and chemical drug, food, and cosmetic testing” (Peta 1). Animals have been used repeatedly throughout the history of biomedical research. Early Greek physician-scientists such as Aristotle and Erasistratus, performed experiments on living animals. Every day, animals all over the world are killed in laboratories for testing. Although there is a rising number of activists fighting against animal testing and abuse, there are still an excessive amount of animals being
The Animal Welfare Act (AWA) signed in 1966 is the only U.S. Federal Law that regulates the treatment of animals in research.
The Animal Welfare Act was enacted in 1966, and it is the only U.S law that keeps animals safe in research and testing. The website procon.org states, “The AWA covered 820,812 animals...which leaves around 25 million other animals not covered.” The animals forced into experimentation are especially vulnerable to mistreatment and abuse without the protection of the AWA. Even the animals that are protected aren’t fully cared for. “For the less than 10% of animals in labs covered by the AWA the law sets minimal standards for housing, feeding, veterinary care…” This shows why it’s not acceptable for animals to continue being forced into testing procedures and
Right at about 26 million animals are tested in the united states each year. Animals are used for research to develop or prolong new medical treatments, check the safety of products for human use, and other biomedical, commercial, and health care uses. Research on animals has been practiced since at least 500 BC. Some researchers say that it is inhumane to experiment on animals, there are many alternative methods to researchers that can replace animal testing, and many animal species are so different from human life that research on animals often yields irrelevant results. Animal testing in the United States is regulated by the federal Animal Welfare Act. The AWA requires that each research facility develop an internal Institutional Animal
By a raise of hands, how many of you think animals should be used for testing? Around the world, scientific testing often involves animals. Animal testing is mostly used for medical research. The most commonly used animals are mice, fish, rabbits, guinea pigs, farm animals, birds, cats, dogs, and nonhuman primates. According to Ian Murnaghan, animal testing is done in Private facilities, Government laboratories, Non-Profit facilities, and University laboratories (Murnaghan, 2017).
“Given the climate of poor regulatory oversight, many animals are also abused, neglected, and harmed in ways that violate the law”( “Animal Testing and the Law” ) , revealing the horrific underlying effect of animal testing that society does not want to display to the public. Not to mention, many animals are unprotected by the law and forced against their will to undergo a horrid experience—“legal tests include burning, poisoning, mutilating…, and dissecting without painkillers”( “Animal Testing and the Law” ). Many animals are caged behind closed doors that the public cannot see because scientists who use these techniques do not want to upset the public; however, the law is not forcefully used to protect animals in a harmful environment. Furthermore, animals have no voice to establish a strong faith for their future; humans determine the fate and well-being of the animals. Animal Welfare Act, a Federal law that addresses the standard of care animals receive at research facilities, excludes about 95 percent of animals used in research and has low protection for the rest ( “ Animal Testing and the Law” ). Precious animals used in experimental research should be protected fully, if animals are going to be used, otherwise animal testing should be banned if the laws cannot fulfill their duty of protection because of the horrible experiments that may take place. “M.A. Fox
Animal experimentation is validated simple by the benefits it has created in both our medical fields and the veterinary field. The advancements over the past century are astonishing. Backed by the weight of scientific literature the case that animal experiments can produce scientifically valid results is clear, strong and sustainable. Protesters opinions on these matters often overlook any of the positives about testing, for instance, cosmetic testing is illegal in the UK, the Netherlands and Belguim. Furthermore, primates only make up 0.001% of animals tested on, and cats and dogs are only 0.5%. Also, laboratories are checked on at least 12 times randomly throughout the year to make sure that the high standards of animal care are being kept (Nuffield Council 39). Animal researchers
Specific organizations, laws, and acts are just a few of the many examples Latham uses to support his thoughts and ideas on reform concerning the controversial subject of animal experimentation in the United States. All throughout the article, Latham mentions numerous organizations and laws that are affiliated with the United States concerning animal experimentation. Some of these organizations and laws mentioned throughout the entire article include the Animal Welfare Act of 1966, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee, and the Association for Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care.
There are three main reasons why animals are used in experiments are research on disease, behavior, and education. Research of how the cells function and how disease works. What causes the disease? What can prevent those diseases and how to cure them? Research’s test drugs, chemicals, or products to determine safety and effectiveness.