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Animal testing unethical
Animal testing unethical
Animal testing unethical
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Over 61,000 dogs suffer in U.S laboratories every year. More than 21,000 cats are forced to endure painful experiments in U.S laboratories anually. Animals have been used repeatedly for scientific research throughout history. However, not all animal studies have been successful when humans were involved. Animal testing torments many innocent creatures for unreliable and costly research that is not necessary.
The new standards stated that three requirements had to be satisfied: (1) “the voluntary consent of the person on whom the experiment is to be performed,” (2) “the danger of each experiment must be previously investigated by animal experimentation,” and (3) “the experiment must be performed under proper medical protection and management” (Washington, 2006, p. 221). These standards were violated when doctors injected Elmer Allen, a black man who had escaped the South and made a good life for himself and his family in Chicago, with plutonium-238 (Washington, 2006). Plutonium-238 is an even more intensely radioactive isotope than plutonium-239, which was given to most of the other patients (Washington, 2006). Allen suffered a similar experience
Animal testing goes as far back to greek philosophers such as Aristotle (384 – 322 BC) and Erasistratus (304 – 258 BC). Whom once performed testing on animals to advance behavior of something or who aspired to alter brain activity. However there was scientists such as Galen (129 – 199 / 217 AD), who used animals in order to attempt to improve various human activity within the body. Specifically focusing on cures and treatment for those who don't have them. Later, Ibn Zuhr began to use animal testing to benefit humans in which he would perform surgeries on them to ensure that the procedures would not harm humans.
Testing, experimenting, assessing, and scrutinizing are apart of the procedures that harmless animals are put through every day in order to benefit the human life. What makes torturing animals with chemicals considered a good thing? Animals involved in testing include: rats, rabbits, hamsters, cats and dogs. Imagine a household pet, such as a cat or dog, being put against their will placed in chemicals with no good reasoning? Whether or not you’re human, living creature still deserve to be treated respectfully and fairly, and based on the percentages and experiments being placed on animals; there is no respect or fairness given.
Between animal rights activists and the scientists themselves, testing on animals has been a debatable subject for many years. Animal activists are known for being hard headed defenders for the rights of the friendly creatures on the planet, but the scientists believe in using the rodents for research purposes such as finding treatments and cures for genetic diseases and disorders. Thanks to the test subjects, scientists were able to find cures or treatments for breast cancer, cystic fibrosis, leukemia, and different types of sclerosis. Disorders and diseases like these are inherited, when genes pass from parents to their offspring.
There are many alternatives to animal testing that can be applied to cosmetic testing. These alternatives are seen as more ethical than the use of animals and more accurately apply to human biology instead of animal biology. One alternative for animal testing is to test on humans. Human testing has been used in many cases so long as it doesn’t prove to damage the subject.
From the article “Animal Testing” over 100 million animals are tested on each year. That means 100 million animals die each year. Something people say that “you have to test on something before you test on humans.” However, testing on animals should be banned because it’s hurting the animal population. Too many animals are killed each year from being tested on.
Animals in Research and Testing According to PETA, the animals who are in research and testing “shake and cower in fear whenever someone walks past their cages and their blood pressure spikes drastically. After enduring lives of pain, loneliness and terror, almost all of them will be killed,” (“Animal Testing 101”). Animal-testing is the use of non-human animals in research and development projects, especially for purposes of determining the safety of substances, such as foods, beauty products, and/or drugs. Although animal research plays a crucial role in experiments focused on disease treatments and preventions, it is cruel, inhumane, and should be stopped. This is an act that should be banned and prohibited in all states and countries
On a national level, animal testing and abuse is very common. Animals are just like every other living thing whether they look like us or not. They have feelings, organ systems, and ways to communicate with their kind. These animals can feel all the tests they are put through no matter if these tests are for medicinal purposes or cosmetic purposes. It is estimated that 25 million animals are used for testing and research per year.
Researchers estimated over 26 million animals were used for scientific tests and commercial testing subject every year in the United States. Over the years animals were used to be tested on medical treatments, products for human uses, health care, and etc. The practice of researching on living animals has started since 500 BC. Opponents of this act say that it is cruel to experiment on animals, there are other methods available to replace the cruel act of experimenting on living animals, and that the human bodies and animal’s bodies are totally two different features and the research often yields irrelevant results. The federal Animal Welfare or AWA passed the animal testing act in 1966 and amended in 1970, 1976, and 1985.
Animal testing is defined as “the use of non-human animals in research and development projects, especially for purposes of determining the safety of substances such as foods or drugs” (Dictionary.com). This experimentation has been practiced since around 500 BCE, and has allowed the human race to discover many things that otherwise would have not been discovered (ProCon). The use of animal testing has increased, due to its many necessary benefits, such as: helping form vaccinations and uncovering new diseases in the specific species being tested on (AALAS). However, many animal activist groups such as, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), have spoken out against the issue. These groups claim animal testing to be “inhumane”
Imagine an enraged animal rights activist charging toward a scientist in a white lab coat, desperate to free the little mice that are being used as test subjects. Although comical, this scene may be quite accurate when describing the passion that animal lovers have when it comes to the touchy subject of animal testing. For centuries, animal testing has been used in the medical research field, however many are now beginning to question whether it is ethical. Millions of animals are killed per year due to animal testing, so is this practice worth banning? Animal testing is a controversial subject, with supporters pointing out the medical advances that have stemmed from animal research and animal rights activists declaring it cruel and immoral.
Animal testing is a phrase that most people have heard but are perhaps still unsure of exactly what it involve. Whether it is called animal testing, experimentation or research, it should be defined as all testing methods on animals including, medical exploration, cosmetics, toxicology trialing, and psychological examination involving animal subjects. It is used to assess the safety and effectiveness of medications and beauty products as well as understanding how the human physiology works. While supporters believe it is necessary practice, those against animal testing believe that it involves torture and suffering to animals. Medical research is the hardest case of proposition in the debate whether animal testing should be banned or not, since it has previously yielded substantial benefits for humanity.
It is true that animal testing requires a lot of investment. Not only that money is spent on advanced technologies, it is also spent to pay for scientists’ expertise on this particular field. In order for the scientists to do their research, they need suitable equipment and substances. Every year, the National institutes of Health finances between $12 billion to $14.5 billion on animal testing as indicated in a study done by the government (Bastach, 2013). Besides, scientists need to consider the fact that animals need to be sheltered, fed and cared for to keep them alive.
In spite of that, some people believe that animal testing is not essential and it should be banned because animals are different from humans physically. In addition, they believe that animal tests are a waste of time and money and there are lower cost alternative methods and more effective. Our purpose of this essay is to prove that animal testing is important and has a lot of benefits and advantages for humanity. Using animals in medical and scientific experiments is necessary, because it finds many cures and treatments, animals bodies are almost similar to the human bodies, also it benefits the animals themselves from diseases.