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The Pros And Cons Of Animal Testing

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Americans love their pets. About seven out of ten households own at least one animal, with dogs and cats the being most common, followed by fish, birds, and small mammals. It is ironic, then, how the same species we keep as pets are among the most common of animals to be tested upon. “Animal testing” is the term used for procedures done on animals for the basis of research. This research includes, but is not limited to, determining the symptoms and possible causes of diseases, assessing the potency of drugs, and determining whether or not industrial and consumer products are safe for human use (source). While the information gained from the research is valuable, the way in which it is collected is unacceptable. Essentially, the ends do not …show more content…

Many different species are tested upon, the most common of which are rodents, rabbits, farm animals, cats, dogs, birds, and primates. Combining these numbers adds up to an estimation that over 115 million animals are used in lab experiments a year. Again, this is just an estimation because only a small number of countries are required to collect and publish data on the matter. The United States is one of the worst offenders in not accurately reporting their data with nearly 90% of its testing not listed. This is legal on a technicality because animals that are bred in a lab do not need to be officially reported like those brought from outside a lab, and the research industry procures most of its animals this way because it is cheaper (source). Consequently, the figures published by the U.S. Department of Agriculture are significantly underestimated, so the public is not aware of the high prevalence of animal experimentation. Transparency regarding the numbers of animals bred, used, and killed in research shouldn’t be optional; they should be required. Otherwise the research industry is not being held accountable for unnecessary loss of

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