Animal Testing: Unnecessary Pain for Dubious Gain

“The question is not, can they reason, nor, can they talk. But can they suffer?” (Bentham). Each year over a hundred million animals endure a number of experiments in an attempt to make human lives easier. These experiments range from cosmetic testing to medical research, sadly neither of these tests are needed. Many people will accept animal research because they believe that these animals aren’t suffering (“Harm and Suffering”) or they believe that animal testing in beneficial to humans. In reality, these animals suffer for mankind, when the need does not exist. Animal testing creates unnecessary pain and suffering for animals, when in reality most experiments will not benefit human health. Animal experimentation in itself is an abusive

Animals and humans have different genes meaning that the products being used are going to have different effects on different species (Burrell). After a drug has been tested on a animal, the drug still has to go through a human trial. Which means that the drug they just spent all that time testing on the animal, still needs to be tested on a human to actually make it purchasable. Sadly, “92% of experimental drugs that are safe and effective in animals fail in human clinical trials because they are too dangerous or don’t work” (“11 Facts”). Meaning that most of the drugs used on animals, actually are not benefiting humans. A few of the drugs passed from animals, were detrimental to humans. For example, a arthritis drug tested on mice, seemed to protect their hearts, but when used on humans, it was the cause of heart attacks and sudden cardiac deaths (“12 Pros and Cons”). Even when some drugs are passed, they show some side effects that were not shown during the test trial. Animals have been used to help the “war on cancer”, but the tests haven’t transferred from humans to animals. The former head of the National Cancer Institute, Richard Klausner, has stated, “The history of cancer research has been a history of curing cancer in the mouse. We have cured mice of cancer for decades and it simply didn’t work in humans” (“Animal Testing”). Meaning that they have learned the ways of curing mice with

They are forced into stressful medical experiments and living conditions. Sadly, testing on these animals, whether it be for medical research or cosmetic testing, does not benefit humans. In reality, the animals are going through unnecessary pain, possibly even death, but there are other alternatives to replace animal testing. Overall, animal testing is a way to harm animals, cause them to suffer, and go through extreme amounts of pain with no relief, in an attempt to help humans, in reality, these experiments do not benefit