The Ethics Of Animal Testing

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.

Imagine a life locked away in a cage with no form of control on your existence. It’s cold, dark, and you are scared. You don’t have a choice of what you eat, where you live, or how you are treated. You are unsure if it is day or night or what will happen to you next. You are locked away in a prison cell and you committed no crime. This is the life of a laboratory animal. Animal testing is the use of animals for scientific research purposes and experiments. It can be used for the findings of cures and medicines to testing new drugs, to understanding the behavioral psychology of the animals themselves. “Around fifty to one hundred million vertebrate animals, ranging from fish to primates, are used in experiments each year” (Lloyd). There are

Animal testing is a common practice in current life that is necessary to ensure the safety of the humans that will be using the tested product. There are many good and bad aspects of animal testing, but the pros clearly outweigh the cons. Animal testing has been around since ancient times when animals were dissected to gain knowledge about the body and organs. The animals killed from animal testing make up a tiny percentage of the total animals killed every year. When just considering the animals used for food compared to the animals used for testing, testing animals make up a mere 2.6 percent of that number. Public safety far outweighs the lives of the small amount of animals killed.

“Lots of people talk to animals…Not very many listen, though…That’s the problem”(Ben Hoffman). The controversy of animal testing is phenomenal; it always has been. I remember dissecting animals throughout my years of school in the "name of science". It was only until recently that I started questioning the government 's methods to teach us. We dissected a dog shark in my oceanography class last year. There had to been at least 80 dead sharks in about four different buckets; that was when it crossed the line. I understood a lamb eye or something, but breeding sharks in captivity just so they can be killed? Animal testing is wrong in every way to me.

There are some good things about animal testing but also bad things. The bad things of animal testing is that it can either kill animals or cause them long lasting harm. If the animal gets hurt during animal testing then it could heal but sometimes that’s not the case and some animals will suffer from permanent damage. That permanent damage might even be painful. The tests done on the animal may be painful as well. Some of the drugs and products that pass animal testing aren’t necessarily safe. Animals are also very different from people. The animal testing can also mislead researchers to ignoring potential cures and treatments for diseases and illnesses.

The term “animal testing” refers to procedures performed on animals for the benefit of humans. An estimated 25 million animals are tested on each year in the United States for scientific and commercial testing. It is used for biomedical research, medical usage, behavioral research, cosmetics, and the list goes on. Research on living animals has been practiced since at least 500 B.C. Many argue that animal testing is necessary for research, but with the medical technology we have today, this has been proven incorrect. The cost of animal testing is hundreds of thousands per year in the U.S. Animal testing is cruel and should not be allowed because it is abusive, expensive, and there are substitutes.

Animal testing has many advantages that have made a better society for people. Animal testing can be defined as, “the use of non-human animals in research and development projects, esp. for purposes of determining the safety of substances such as foods or drugs” (“Dictionary 1”). Animal testing is literally how it sounds to others. Animals are being tested on in order to try different products made by scientists in order to better the society.

Animal testing is an ongoing problem throughout the world. Animal Testing is when scientists or researchers study how animals react to a certain chemical, drug, treatment, or cosmetic. Many types of people who conduct experiments that involve animals. The most common people who test on animals are scientists, researchers, experimenters, chemists, and students. They often test on animals because they have human like traits. Animal testers use animals to test their products so humans aren’t affected

Animal testing, also known as animal experimentation, is the use of animals in research and development projects, usually for the purposes of determining the safety of substances such as food, cosmetics, and drugs. Research animals undergo procedures that can cause physical and psychological distress. Mostly, the animals are euthanized, or killed, after the experiments. However, many organizations such as PETA and the Animal Justice Project have brought up, and are fighting against the dangerous outcomes of animals as they undergo testing. As a result, the topic of animal testing has become a divided and controversial topic among individuals, questioning whether it is ethical and unnecessary or humane and necessary to the science development.

Animals have been tested for ever. They use to not have rights. Back in the day animals that are put into testing are not given rights. They are forced to do things that they don’t want to do forced to do something that will make them injured. A pro on animal testing is nearly 90% of scientist in medical lads believed that animals research Is necessary. Some scientists that work with animals don’t always work on the body they work on the mind

Consequential ethics shows a better understanding of animal testing. An estimated 26 million animals are used every year in the United States for scientific and commercial testing. Animals are used to develop medical treatments, determine the toxicity of medications, check the safety of products destined for human use, and other biomedical, commercial, and health care uses. Research on living animals has been practiced since at least 500 BC. Many people argue that with our modern technology there is no longer a need to test on animals to cure diseases.

For my paper I chose the topic of animal testing because I have always been very passionate for animals and against animal abuse. I have never believed in animal testing and that there were always other alternatives. I wanted to look further into and educate myself about what is being done about this and why it is an ethical issue. I have come up with an axiom to summarize this topic. Testing animals in research revolves around the relative or moral value of humans and animals, and many different viewpoints helped to contribute to the development of ethical principles of animal treatment.

Most people have heard the phrase animal testing, but some are still not aware of what it actually involves. Animal testing can also be called animal research, and it refers to the experimentation on animals for many different medical treatments for humans. Several different animals are tested on, from rodents to primates. It can take place at medical schools, universities, or pharmaceutical companies. Some animals are bred specifically for medical testing. Others, can be taken from the wild, and placed in an animal testing facility. Without animal testing, we wouldn’t have the knowledge or successful treatments for: Leukemia and breast cancer, kidney failure and transplants, Alzheimer’s disease, HIV and Aids, polio, and premature birth. Whether

Over the last couple hundred years, our world has expanded beyond its horizons and the new equipment and advanced technology has allowed humans to succeed in many areas, but has also damaged the basic ethics and morals in some of us. Today on television, we see the over dramatized body spray commercials or a famous celebrity advertising their favorite shampoo and stating its claims, but what most do not know is that a couple or couple hundred, animals were killed to approve, by law, of that product. This act is called animal testing, which is the method or experiment that forces an animal to go through any harm or distress (Thew). I do not agree with this practice simply because it harms innocent animals for products that we do not need

As I have progressed through this journey, I feel as though I have gained a much greater insight into an issue, which is of far bigger global concern than I had initially realised. The basis of this investigation was to examine the social and ethical perspectives on animal testing and within that the tendency for human beings to classify and categorise forms of life, placing themselves at the top of the ladder. Through the use of primary and secondary methodologies I have been able to appreciate many differing opinions, ranging from passionate objections to uncertainty and then those in full support of continuation.