The Arguments Of Animal Experimentation

People have animals, especially dogs and cats, as pets. They take care of animals and spend their lives together. However, sacrificing animals is necessary for human life to survive. Moreover, using animal experimentation is common because this can improve our health. Henry E. Heffner and Carl Cohen who are proponents of animal experimentation point out that it is necessary because it can protect human health. However, Robert Garner and Sarah Rose A. Miller who are opponents of animal experimentation claim that it is unacceptable because it causes animals to suffer. Two aspects of the arguments about animal research are about the use of laboratory animals and the idea of using substitution for live animals, and although the authors mostly disagree

Opponents of animal experimentation argue that it only considers human advantages. Miller points out that people use animal only in their self-interest and the sense of self-gain such as education and biomedical research (2). In terms of education, people use animals, especially frogs, to understand human’s body systems. Moreover, in regard to biomedical research, people use animals as product testing to confirm that there is no dangerous side effect. Therefore, people are likely to use animals for egoistic reasons. Consequently, animal experimentation is done only by their self-interest and have no advantage to animals. In contrast, Heffner, who agrees animal experimentation, claims that it can benefit not only humans but also animals (1). According to the author, the relationship between human and animal is mutualistic, which can profit both. It is no doubt that animal experimentation profits human. It can safeguard human health. Animal experimentation is not only helpful but also crucial for advances in human health. For example, people make striking progress on vaccine about malaria, which killed two million every year, by using mice as a test (Cohen 2). Therefore, people can gain advantage using animals. Moreover, Heffner pointed out that “[animal experimentation] benefits humans, which in turn benefits lab animals” (72). For example, the author points out a laboratory is more secure than in the wild (Heffner 75). In the wild, animals suffer to find food and shelter and so on, so the mortality rate is high. However, in the laboratories, animals do not have to worry about that because people will take care of them. Consequently, animals are bound to reproduce easily because the life in a laboratory is secure than in the