The Pros And Cons Of Animal Testing

It is not often that one sees the gruesome ways of animal experimentation in person. In short, it is the use of non-human animals in labs to find variables that affect the behavior of the human biological system (Google). Many people-like the PETA organization or the Humane Society-oppose these practices, but even this opposition is not enough to stop testing from happening for things such as cosmetics testing, chimpanzee experimentation, and genetically engineered farm animals. Although some of the testing produces positive results-such as a drug working-it is at the expense of millions of tortured animals; therefore, a simple solution would be to prohibit the use of animals in research.

Animal testing has contributed to making many vaccines, and saving thousands of lives. Experiments in which dogs had their pancreases removed led directly to the discovery of insulin, critical to saving the lives of diabetics. The polio vaccine, tested on animals, reduced the global occurrence of the disease from 350,000 cases in 1988 to 223 cases in 2012. (ProCon.org, 2013) Also Animal testing has contributed to major advances for treating conditions such as breast cancer, brain injury, childhood leukemia, cystic fibrosis, malaria, multiple sclerosis, tuberculosis, and many other diseases. Also there are no known alternatives for testing on animals because animals are 99% genetically the same as humans. (OpposingViewpoints.com, 2013) Another example of how Animal Testing has helped humans tremendously is that animals had helped create the inhaler, which kills around 2,000 people each year in the UK. (understandinganimalresearch.org.uk, 2013) Lastly, one other reason that Animal Testing is needed, sharks rarely get cancer, cockroaches can regenerate damaged nerves, and some amphibians can regrow lost limbs. By studying these animals people may learn how their body does all of this and apply it to human medicine. (amprogress.org, 2013) Animal Testing has saved many lives, and if it is not banned it will continue to save

Many sources have claimed that animal testing has contributed to nearly all medical cures in the last 100 years. For example, in an experiment where dogs had their pancreas taken out, scientists discovered insulin. Animal testing has allowed some advancements in cancer research among other things.

According to the National Institutes of Health, animal testing has been around since the days of philosopher Aristotle. According to ProCon.org, there are an estimated 26 million animals used for scientific and commercial testing in the U.S. alone. Animal testing has brought many good things to the medical world, such as the treatment various disease. Also, the animal is being tested by many cosmetics companies. On the other hand, organizations like PETA- People of Ethical Treatment of Animals have fought against the medical testing of animals. There are pros and cons that come with the usage of animals in the biomedical and cosmetic testing, and each side needs should be carefully examined before deciding one way or another.

In 2014 a group organization called People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) noted that more than 100 million animals are harmed or killed during animal testing. Animal testing is cruel and inhumane. Animals are being used for medical testing, but are not being cared for before, during, or after testing. Animals and humans are very similar, in that we have the same organ system which performs the same tasks in a similar fashion. Even though animals and humans share comparable DNA, we fail to see the similarities in physical and emotional pain that animals endure during testing. Subjecting even one animal to that type of cruelty, all in the name of science is one too many.

Animal testing helps researchers discover new drugs and treatment. Ruggeri, Camp, and Miknyoczki (2013) describe that animal models can help people to understand the pathology of cancer, identify the therapy method, help the drug research and development of human cancer There are many tests and medical researches had been done to animals that had led to the discovery of many medicines and treatments to cure and save the lives of people. According to the California Biomedical Research Association, every discovery in the last century was as a result of animal testing, such as insulin for the treatment of diabetic and the polio vaccine (ProCon.org, 2014, p 1). Animal testing also had being very important for new treatment of breath cancer,

plays crucial role in acceptance of drugs. Scientists said that it is very necessary to

Every year, thousands of animals are forced to undergo multiple experiments and procedures in laboratories for the sake of testing new products or for scientific purposes. Some issues that are in support of testing on lab animals include its contribution to many life-saving cures and treatments, allows to test on a living body system, are appropriate research subjects due to their similarity to human subjects, animals do not have human rights, allows for human products to be tested for safety, religious beliefs that entitle humans to have dominion over all animals, and this method of testing is a small price to pay for advancing medical progress. According to a study done by the California Biomedical Research Association, “…nearly every medical breakthrough in the last 100 years has resulted directly from research using animals. We have made significant progress against diseases such as polio, smallpox, cancer, heart diseases, and diabetes among many, thanks to animals.” Allowing scientists to do their lab research on animals enables them to explore new ways to cure diseases or develop safer products for humans to use. Some values that are in support of animal testing include safety, quality of life, education, and health.

Do you think that animal testing is economically sound? Animal testing is wrong for the

Every year a variety of animals are put into experiments in laboratories. They are tested using new substances, ointments, nasal spray and many more products. It has been seen throughout our lives where we see pictures or articles that talk about how animals are tortured and abused in these laboratories. From all this, there have been many organizations that started a movement to ban animal testing. This new movement has received a lot of popularity from the people. It has made many companies that are against this find ways to show, print, and tell us that their product was safely tested on animals or not tested at all. They have tried to come up with new alternatives to stop animal testing or to simply hide the fact that they do. One major way they test on animals is using medical products. Also, products that benefit humans are tested on animals before they are sold to consumers. Although there has been much change in the way animals are put through experiments the question still lingers, Should animals experiment with products like medicine?

Animal rights are not as protective as they should be. The topic of animal testing probably evokes images of animals being viciously injected or force fed pills. This is because it is the reality of what animal testing has been for the previous decades. Testing on animals for the benefit of humans is cruel and hurtful to the animals being tested upon. Animals feel the same level of pain that a human does, so why does it make it okay to test unknown substances on a lab rat just because it is smaller and weaker?  In recent years potential animal testing alternatives have shown up, yet it is still highly underused. I agree wholeheartedly that testing products and chemicals on animals for human gain is simply wrong. In this essay I will argue to protect the lives of animals by expressing how cruel animal testing is and how it is the wrong method of testing.

Charles Darwin, a renowned scientist, wrote to the Oxford zoologist Ray Lankester in 1871 : “You ask about my opinion on vivisection (animal testing). I quite agree…it is a subject that makes me sick with horror, so I will not say another word about it else I shall not sleep to-night, ” So you’d think, that nearly 150 years after Darwin’s words there would be some change in opinion. You’d think that when a scientist’s idol shows absolute disgust for animal testing they’d stop, especially as there are more effective and money-saving methods today. Experimenting on animals is cruel and morally wrong. Even as I speak, animals are being crammed into cages in the name of medical ‘research’. Animals are very different from humans, their anatomical structures are also different, so why test on animals when it the drugs they are being tested with are meant for HUMANS? What kind of sick logic is this?

Although animal testing helps with medical research. It is not right, since it is basically animal cruelty. Animal testing is wrong in many ways, since animals don’t know what’s going on. So the big question is, is animal testing really necessary? Animal testing happens every day in laboratories. Animals shouldn’t have to be harmed when being tested on, they have feelings just like humans do. There are many different kinds of animals that get tested on such as: rats, mice, rabbits, hamsters, and even dogs. Why put animal’s lives in harm’s way, when there are other resources out there to help with medical researching?

Animal testing is an extremely helpful act that can save thousands of lives every year, lives that could be allergic to different chemicals, medicines, and beauty products. Many believe that animal testing is the best way to go, it ensures the safety of not only adults but children and pets too. Animals are tested based on what they are, for example a rat is tested with beauty products that cause an allergic reaction on the rat causing fur to fall out and bleeding. A monkey could be submitted to more psychologic tests which result in the death of the animal since it was bred to be tested. This is where another area of the field comes in, animal cruelty. Many believe that there are alternatives to animal testing such as practicing on organs of animals, another way for humans to find out what is bad for them without causing harm to another animal. Animals other than rats and mice are tested on, such as monkeys, raccoons, rabbits, opossums, and other animals that can feel pain. Animals testing can be called a necessary evil, testing seems to do and equal amount of harm and good.

Over 100 million animals are killed in experiments in the U.S. alone each year, according Laboratory Animal Resource Center at UC San Francisco. At the University of Missouri a study was done were they intentionally damaged the corneas of the dogs and given a topical acid treatment that was supposed to heal the eye, it did not, and the beagles were eventually put to death. Because of the cruel nature of animal testing, there should be an alternative.