Pros And Cons Of Animal Testing

The controversies over animal testing have been hotly debated internationally by many organizations that support and protest the issue. Without the treatments concocted under animal experimentation, millions of human and animals lives would have been lost to dangerous diseases such as hepatitis B, measles, smallpox, and numerous others, while almost all of humanity would succumb to the infectious nature of other minor diseases. With sick humans and animals carrying the afflicted genetics to the new generations will lead to undesirable mutations, hereditary illness, and shorter life span of the future offsprings. Animals would gradually die out from the new strain of viruses destroying their bodies, and the extinction of livestock would eventually

restricting safety regulations and ensuring the wellbeing of animals used for biomedical research. The AWA applies to animal carriers, handlers, dealers, breeders, and exhibitors in addition to research laboratories, and sets minimum standards of care that must be provided for animals - including housing, handling, sanitation, food, water, veterinary care and protection from weather extremes(McKinley). Research are often regulated by strict federal laws protecting experimental animals from abuse and poor treatments within laboratories. The law was again augmented in 2008, increasing the punishment for abuse and violation of any animal, setting the fine as high as $10,000 and 6 months imprisonment. The AWA also requires regular inspections of laboratory animals and approval of the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) in order to conduct an experiment. All facilities conducting animal research must be reviewed and observed by representatives of the IACUC, allowing the AWA to be enforced more thoroughly (McKinley). Any institutions that does not comply or obstruct the AWA are stripped of its laboratory animals and must pay up to $20,000 (Moss). Although there are few laws regarding humane treatments towards animals, the American federal government gallantly protects laboratory animals as they are human citizens. Alongside with the already strict governmental supervisions of animal usage, the act sets minimum standards of care and housing for dogs, cats, primates, rabbits, hamsters and guinea pigs in the premises of animal dealers and laboratories, and it requires identification of dogs and cats to prevent theft. Dealers must be licensed and laboratories must be registered. The law was again augmented in 2008, increasing the punishment for abuse and violation of any animal, setting the fine as high as $10,000 and 6 months imprisonment. The regulations