The Pros And Cons Of The Animal Welfare Act

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Furthermore, while critics argue that laws have been issued which protect the physical and mental health of animals used as test subjects, the Animal Welfare Act is only US law that governs the use of laboratory animals. For example, the People For The Ethical Treatment Of Animals (PETA) wrote an article regarding the Animal Welfare Act and its inefficiency in protecting lab animals. The article explained that no experiment is prohibited, no matter how grievous or petty; that painkillers are never required; and when alternatives to animal test subjects are feasible, federal law does not require their use. This alludes to the fact that the only law attempting is allowing laboratory animals to be tortured. They can be burned, shocked, poisoned, isolated, starved, forcibly restrained, addicted to drugs, and brain-damaged. …show more content…

Simply stated, critics arguments that lab animals are protected by federal law is a manipulated version of the story: society's only efforts to protect animals are tepid attempts as we allow lab animals to be tortured without any compensation. Furthermore, critics argue that the parameters of the Animal Welfare Act protect primates used in laboratories by stating all facilities must promote the psychological well-being of nonhuman primates in a which is referred to environmental enhancement. To quote, “The plan must address social grouping; enriching the environment, with special consideration for great apes; caring for infants, young juveniles, and those primates showing signs of psychological distress; and ensuring the well-being of those primates who are used in a protocol requiring restricted activity” (Conlee). Social grouping is one of the most significant psychological factors in the lives of