The Animal Welfare Act (AWA) Regulates The Treatment Of Animals

Approximately 26 million animals are used every year in the United States alone for research and commercial testing (“Background of the Issue” 1). For years, legislators have debated the pros and cons of animal testing, and laws were passed to attempt to fix the inhumane treatment of the cute, innocent testing subjects, the animals. Although the Animal Welfare Act (AWA) was revised numerous times, “the species most commonly used in experiments (mice, rats, birds, fish, reptiles, and amphibians) comprise 99% of all animals in laboratories” and are the animals that are specifically exempted from protection under the act (“Experiments on Animals” 2). A simple fix to animal cruelty during testing is to use alternative methods since human and animal bodies already vary greatly. For years, animal testing was the best option because there was no alternative to testing on a living, whole-body system; however, in the age of technology, there is no reason for millions of animals to be killed due to the severity of the testing. Therefore, animal testing should be banned because alternative methods provide more accurate results since human bodies are very different than animal bodies; furthermore, animal advocacy organizations should promote cruelty-free products more so customers know what to purchase and use.

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.

Animals endure so much pain and suffering when being tested on. In some cases, animal testing can be deadly or lead to serious side effects that will forever stick with the animal that was tested on. Animals hardly ever, to never benefit from testing. In research and testing, animals are subjected to experiments that can include everything from testing new drugs to infecting with diseases, poisoning for toxicity testing, burning skin, causing brain damage, implanting electrodes into the brain, maiming, blinding, and other painful and invasive procedures (NEAVS). It can include protocols that cause severe suffering. Also, can’t forget about the restricted living conditions where animals are forced to live in an unhealthy habitat out of their own element during the testing period. Animals in labs suffer not only pain from protocols, but also severe stress from day-to-day laboratory life. They spend their lives in barren cages, unable to make choices or express natural behaviors. Most never experience fresh air or sunshine, only bars and concrete. Although most think that the Animal Welfare Act protects animals from abuse, it is a common misconception that the AWA protects animals against abuse and harm in the laboratory or in other areas of commerce. This is not true. According to the National Anti-Vivisection Society the AWA regulates the use of animals in research and outlines standards for their care, it does not protect

Animal testing, also known as animal research or experimentation refers to the use of non-human animals to conduct experiments which seek to control certain variables that have the potential to impact the biological systems or behaviors under study. The most commonly used animals are usually mice, cats, rats, dogs and primates. More than 20 million animals are usually subjected to food, drugs, chemical and cosmetic testing each year in the United States alone (Sharma et al, p.1). These animals usually suffer and die in the cruelest of ways despite the fact that there exist more modern non-animal tests which have been found out to save time, money and with more educational value. This essay explains why animal testing is bad and provides

The testing of animals in scientific and commercial research has been debated for many years. Some people view animals as companions or part of the family, but others think of them as a way to advance medicine by providing researchers with a means to develop better medical techniques, discovering vaccines, and helping to find a cure for a disease. Regardless of how a person may view animals, they are worthy of better protection by our government and us as a society. Although some animal testing has been successful, there are research alternatives that could eliminate the pain, suffering, and deaths that animals endure in scientific research. Therefore, animals should not be used in scientific research

It is human nature to survive at any cost, even if it is at the expense of animals we may typically see in our everyday lives. The use of animals in pharmacological education and research is nothing new and dates way back to the ancient times. The amount of data that has been acquired from these animal testings has allowed for modern medicine to improve and opened new gateways for further development of newer medication, but at what cost?

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.

The Animal Welfare Act (AWA) was established in 1966 in order to prevent mistreatment of certain animals. Establishment of the AWA was a large milestone in the fight towards stricter dog breeding regulation, as it is the first and only federal law that aims to protect animals that are commercially bred. One of the biggest breeding-related rules it enforces is that breeders who breed more than three dogs at a time for profit are required to have a license. According to the AWA, “Any person who maintains a total of three (3) or fewer breeding female dogs, cats, and/or small exotic or wild mammals…and who sells only the offspring of these dogs, cats, or small exotic or wild mammals, which were born and raised on his or her premises, for pets or

Mohandas K. Gandhi once said, “The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated”. What, then, does it say about the people of the United States, for allowing the deaths of millions of innocent animals for the benefit of research, that in most cases is not even useful? 100 million animals are killed each year due to animal testing or experimentation (PETA,1). In the past, it was acceptable to use animal testing for scientific research, but now that there are other viable alternatives to the testing of innocent animals, such as in-vitro, stem cell testing, non-incasing imaging techniques, and micro-dosing. Animal testing should only be used in cases where said drug or treatment will treat life-threatening diseases. Animal testing in this day and age is both unnecessary and cruel, as there are multiple alternatives and the most of the time is not useful in human research.

Just in the United States, “there are about 26 million different species, from dogs to birds, being used every year for medical and science related testing” (“Animals in Science / Research”). Throughout the process of testing, “monkeys are addicted to drugs, cats are deafened and have holes drilled into their skulls, sheep and pigs have their skin burned off, and rats have their spinal cords crushed” (“Animals in Medical Experiments”). As a result, animals face cruel conditions and have no way of fighting back. Although medical testings on animals may cure the deadliest diseases such as cancer and tuberculosis, the abuse and mistreatment these animals face while testing medicines should be deemed inhumane, and such practices should be banned in the United States.

“Over 100 million animals are burned, crippled, poisoned, and abused in US labs every year” (11 Facts). Animal testing is a very flawed creation in today’s world. This innovation has caused much harm to many animals while also hurting the opinions of animal activists around the world. Animal testing is also known as the use of animals in experiments and development projects usually to determine toxicity, dosing and efficacy of test drugs before proceeding to human clinical trials (Biology Online). The use of animal testing has been around for throughout all of history, it also carries its disadvantages as they diminish the lives of many animals along with their unspoken opinion while also having some advantages, and lastly this notion is very expensive (Scutti).

According to PETA, more than 100 million animals suffer and die in the U.S. every year in cruel chemical, drug, food, and cosmetic tests are well as in medical training exercises and curiosity-driven medical experiments at universities. Animal testing has been around for decades, many people believe that animal testing needs to be abolished, but others believe that animal testing is necessary. The idea that animal testing should be eradicated stems from the belief that animal testing is cruel and inhumane. The other side of this argument is that animal testing is a necessity because it allows people to use certain brands of makeup and hygiene products. Animals all over the world suffer from the many experiments they encounter

The Animal Welfare Act was originally created on August 24, 1966 by president Lyndon B. Johnson, but has been edited and revised 7 times since the original act was passed. This act consists of regulations on the amount of testing, transport, research and exhibition that can be used on the animals. The dealers of these animals must also have a license to do so. The Animal Welfare Act states that they will be treated in “Transportation, sale, purchase, housing, care, and the people handling them for research.”

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.