Taking a Look at Animal Rights

Approximately 225 million animals are used for testing every year. Billions have been killed in the process. ("Questions and Answers About Biomedical Research.”) How can this be allowed? Isn’t it cruel to use animals to test products for humans? Many animal rights activists say, “yes” to this question. However, scientists argue it is necessary and animal research can help save human lives. There are probable arguments for both sides. But the dangers of using animals to test products for human use weighs an even greater risk than not using the animals. Alternatives are much more ethical.

Non-human animals should have the same rights that humans have such as not being used as food, clothing, entertainment, or experimentation.

Millions of helpless animals every year like rats, rabbits, dogs, monkeys and several more species are cruelly tested on, in horrible conditions. Animals should be able to roam free and live a healthy life looking after their young, but all their life consists of is sitting in filth and terrible pain waiting in fear of what brutal test will be done to them next. Anything that is tested on any animal that brings agonising pain to them is ethically and morally wrong, and should to be put to a complete stop immediately. Experiments are performed on animals to test a variety of things like new medicines that are being developed and to test how safe different products are. Things ranging from cosmetics, cleaning products, food additives, pharmaceuticals and chemicals are forcefully tested on animals.

Twelve million animals are used by EU researchers to test drugs, products, and cosmetics every year; that’s 137 animals suffering cruel, painful experiments every ten minutes. Along with that, only about 10% of lab animals have been registered into official statistics. Even animals that are protected under the Animal Welfare Association (AWA) have been abused and tortured. Testing on animals is undoubtedly wrong due to the fact that it is often inaccurate, inhumane, cruel, and violates the rights of animals.

An English philosopher once stated his question about animals, “Can they reason? Can they talk? Most importantly, Can they suffer?”(Singer). Animal testing is inhumane and should be banned. House pets such as rodents, rabbits, and even dogs are being tested on all around the world. These voiceless animals are intentionally given nasty diseases and infections to find cures while scientists could be using alternative ways of testing instead of using these powerless animals. Most experimentation has nothing to do with medical research, it is product testing. Animals should not be used for product testing or medical research.

One reason that animal testing is horrible is that animals are not able to have a say about being tested on. Animals are not able to specifically say if they are in discomfort. Most of the time they are put through tests that can and will cause severe pain to them. Researchers discriminate against animals because they are not able to maintain the same cognitive abilities that humans have because they cannot speak, or have moral judgment, (Con Animal, par. 10). There is no need for about 56 billion animals to die from failed experimental testing. The majority of research animals used are killed during or after the experiments. Their lives are forcibly taken for poor research that could have been fixed with the proper information, (Con Animal, par. 9). Researchers use too many animals for testings whether it is for cosmetic or medical reasons, that will cost the

“Each year, more than 100 million animals—including mice, rats, frogs, dogs, cats, rabbits, hamsters, guinea pigs, monkeys, fish, and birds—are killed in U.S. laboratories for biology lessons, medical training, curiosity-driven experimentation, and chemical, drug, food, and cosmetics testing.” ("Experiments on Animals: Overview.") Some believe that animal testing is futile, while others say it is beneficial to science. Testing cosmetic, medical, and chemical products on animals is unreliable, unnecessary, and inhumane.

The controversial issue of animal testing isn’t a top priority for most Americans, but it is for the animal rights activist that have established brand boycotts and loyalty. Animal testing has been around for decades; however, most Americans do not know if their household cleans or beauty products are tested on animals. Companies like Fabreze, Lysol, and even Comet are still tested on animals as of 2017 but have a standing consumer boycott by animal rights activist. “A study published in the Journal of Medical Ethics (February 2015) found that from 1997 to 2012, the total number of laboratory animals increased by 73%, but due to inadequacies in recordkeeping on the use of animals in experimentation, the number may be even higher (“Animals,”

Seems rhetorical, but the fact is animals live through this everyday, without even given the choice. As humans, we establish our authority among all living beings, but for what reasons? Are humans better than all other species? Or is it true that we should hold a precedence over nonhuman animals? The ultimate question then remains, should animals have as much or equal to the same rights as humans? Their are endless arguments for and against this question, and many sub arguments that go hand in hand with each side. In this paper, I will discuss the definition of what animal rights entails and expand on the history that developed it’s meaning. Furthermore, I will thoroughly discuss, reason, and explain each opinion presented by our current society as well as the positions held by previous philosophers. Lastly, I will draw a conclusion to the opinions presented by discussing my personal position on the argument of animal rights.

Just think for a second. Imagine yourself in a dream and you are locked in a small metal cage, no sunlight or fresh air. You are not able to move around much or even eat when you want, and you are locked in that cage for multiple days at a time. How would you feel? Well that is how these animals feel used for animal testing. Animal testing is a debate topic for that many people have different feelings about. For example, in the article “Animals in Science” says, “Every year in the U.S., over 25 million animals are used in biomedical experimentation, product and cosmetic testing, and science education. This includes dogs, cats, ferrets, rabbits, pigs, sheep, monkeys, chimpanzees, and more” (neavs). Many see animals as apart of their family who care very much for. Some people even have animals to help them with their disabilities known as a service animal. Others, on the other hand, do not care for animals as much and would rather have them used for advancing medical research. If you don’t know exactly what happens during animal testing allow me to explain. Dogs, cats, rabbits, monkeys and other mammals suffer every year. But in most labs the animals used are rabbits, rats, mice, hamsters, and guinea pigs. They all go through multiple tests such as, the Draize eye test. The draize eye test is a test used by cosmetic companies to calculate irritation from the shampoos and other products. The test is done to rabbits which their eyelids are clipped open for multiple days. The product is placed in their eyes and studied for multiple days. Doing so it is not allowing them to run away, rub the product out, or even blink. Although humans benefit from the successful research done, the suffering, pain and deaths of the animals tested are not worth the human benefits. Thus, I believe the testing of products should not be done on animals.

Since you were born animal testing was used in your everyday products. The Pampers, Band-Aids, and Visine you purchased were all animal tested products. Every year, millions of animals go through painful experiments usually resulting in death. Normally, scientists use animals to determine and refine a variety of drugs, vaccines, cosmetics, and other chemicals. In the past 50 years, the United States used animal testing as a tool for growth among many industries. With 80 million animals painfully killed in U.S laboratories, animal experimentations has been a heavy controversial topic. Although people truly benefit from animal research, the inescapable pain, suffering, and death are not worth the benefits. Animals used in the name of research is wrong and needs to be stopped.

It seems that nowadays there are activists for more causes than can be counted, but one cause that stands out most in today's times is animal activism. Animal rights activists believe that animals other than humans should be allowed to live their lives without any suffering and should not be considered anyone's property. In today's society animals suffer quite a bit through many different ways, most caused by humans, such as animal testing, factory farms, fur farms and even pollution. Although there are a lot of efforts being put out to stop these monstrosities by many animal rights groups and even individuals.

Most people will step on an insect without a second thought while ordering a double-double at In-N-Out. There is a vocal minority of people who will not step on that insect, but order a grilled cheese at the very same In-N-Out. There is an even smaller minority who will not even order the cheese because a cow had to produce milk to make the cheese. The subject of animal rights incites heated debates. On one end of the spectrum would be animal rights organizations like People for the Ethical treatment of Animals or PETA for short. PETA takes a stance against any use of any animal, even using silk from silk worms. According to this organization, the only tolerable use of an animal is a neutered companion pet in the backyard. On the other end of the spectrum would be the people like the infamous dentist, Walter Palmer, who paid thousands of dollars to African hunting guides to lure a lion off an animal preserve in order to shoot it. Palmer then had the lion stuffed and mounted to a board by a taxidermist to remember his kill. Most Americans ' beliefs fall somewhere in between Palmer and PETA.

My cultural immersion is season three, episode three of 30 Days, Animal Rights. I am employed in agriculture and have been for the last 12 years. Those who are involved with farming operations believe in animal rights, but those rights are a different variation than those portrayed in this video. I have taken a stand against anti-farming measures, The Humane Society of the United States and PETA. Two of the most well-known animal activist right groups. I have found faults, misstated evidence, and fact tapering propaganda with these two organization in the past. My new stance in support of these organizations will be uncomfortable as I view them as anti-agriculture. Agriculture is how I meet my family’s

First I am going to start off by saying that there is a big problem in the world and it will make a lot of people think really hard about the next thing that they eat. Animal rights is a big thing to some people and nothing to some people but my writing is going to talk about both sides of this argument and tell my readers why animals should be treated just like humans. No one should have to go through being abused. Also going to talk about why I’m right about what I researched and how it really changed the way people view animal abuse. The topic of this is that people are not really doing anything about it. There are animals getting abused all around the world and people just seem like it doesn’t matter to them.