Using animals in scientific research has been a heated debate and highly controversial topic for decades. The biggest question associated with animal testing is if it is morally right or wrong. Some people would say testing products on any kind of animal is unmoral and wrong. But scientists on the other hand, believe animal testing is the best way to discover medical breakthroughs. Regardless of how people may feel about animals the fact remains that animals are being hurt and killed unnecessarily in research facilities all around the world. Although humans benefit from animal research, the suffering, the pain and the deaths of animals are not worth these human benefits. Therefore scientists have the moral obligation to pursue other options …show more content…
Unfortunately this is not the case. Currently there is not one single law in the United States that is designed to prevent or prohibit animals from being used for medical experimentation. In fact, the only federal law enacted to help protect these animals is the Animal Welfare Act, which only enforces laboratories to provide clean facilities for the animals to reside in (Newkirk 242). Without regulation, scientist can administer any treatment or substance to these animals they determine is fit. It is unethical to allow the person who if profiting from such experiments to determine which tests should be performed as well as deciding on the quality of life these animals have while being used for research (Greek 88). Throughout the years, there have been several people who have argued that using animals for testing is a moral issue. Animals are unable vocalize their choices or decisions; therefore humans have often considered them as inferior species. People can donate their bodies to science, but animals are unable to express their wiliness to do so. Humans instead decide which animals are being used in research labs and the quality of life these animals have while being used for researched; however, it is the human making this choice, not the animal itself. This takes away the animals’ rights as well as their quality of life. Philosophers, such as Daniel Elstein and Tom Regan, argue …show more content…
Rats, for example produce their own vitamin c where humans have to supplement vitamin c through foods. Mice are nose breathers, their protein needs are higher than humans, their pulse rates and blood clothing factors all vastly differ from humans (Newkirk 215). Small strides have been made in curing the major diseases that affect humans. People are still dying and animals are continuing to suffer! With the reliability of animal studies in question, scientist should be seeking out non-animal alternatives. Scientist who regularly use animals during their research would argue that innovations in the medical field would come to a stop. I agree that changes would have to be made and this change would not happen overnight but I am for certain that alternatives are possible and are the right choice. Some have argued that eliminating animal studies would also eliminate a controlled environment but they are not taking into consideration the possibilities of experimenting with human tissue in vitro, or in test tubes, and how this would be a solution to this problem. Human cells can easily be obtained or collected from surgery, biopsies or autopsies and because of technology many of these cells or tissues can be preserved indefinitely (Greek 101-102). Another less invasive option would be through autopsies. Autopsies rule out the moral implications because they would be performed for knowledge gain in the medical field by people
The information that animals have provided scientists over the past decades has changed society, and is still changing society for the better. Millions of lives have been saved with the use of animal testing and many more will be saved with continued research. However, there are many who dismiss this monumental achievement completely and oppose the use of animals in laboratory research. Though many find this practice to be
Albert Sabin, the developer of the polio vaccine once said, “Without animal research, polio would still be claiming thousands of lives each year.” Polio is a deadly disease caused by a virus that spreads from person to person. This infectious disease renders the brain and spinal cord helpless while also ensuring a permanent case of paralysis to the victim. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “…13,000 to 20,000 para-lytic cases were reported annually,” before the 18th century. After the introduction of the polio vaccine, “…a total of 2,525 paralytic cases were reported, compared with 61 in 1965.” This dramatic decrease in the prominence of the polio disease can only be attributed to the success of animal testing. Animal experimentation is used in the research of genetics, drug testing, biology, toxicity testing, cosmetic testing, and many other fields. Despite all of its beneficial traits, animal testing has been wildly controversial over the past decades because of its perceived unethical treatment towards animals. Although animal testing may be deemed unethical by many, it is a form of medical testing that has not only saved lives but has also greatly revolutionized the medical world.
Over 100 Million animals are burned, crippled, poisoned and abused in testing Labs every year. Animals are used to test the safety of products, advance scientific research, and develop models to study disease and to develop new medical treatments all for the sake of mankind. Animals should not be used for scientific research because animal testing is inhumane, other testing methods now exist, and animals are very different from human beings.
...uld not be morally correct. Also, not just we humans benefit from animal testing, but the animals benefit from it too. Millions of animals would have died if it were not for vaccines for diseases like rabies and the hepatitis virus. Animals at times, make better research subjects than humans. An example is that mice only live two or three years so researchers can observe effects of genetic manipulation over the whole life of the mouse while they would not be able to do that with a human. If you are scared that an animal might get hurt while being used in animal research, do not be. There are two reasons why they will not be hurt. The first reason is that there are laws in place to protect animals from mistreatment. The second reason is that researchers do not want the animal hurt so they will end up with accurate test results when doing their research on the animal.
According to the California Biomedical Research Association, almost every medical advancement in the last 100 years is a direct result of animal testing and research. The use of animals has become standard procedure in a wide range of testing and experimentation, including product toxicity testing, biomedical and veterinary experiments, drug development and testing, and education. Major advancements in treating and understanding chronic conditions such as cancer, cystic fibrosis, malaria, and tuberculosis, have been achieved due to animal research. Also, the development of pacemakers, cardiac valve substitutes, and anesthetics are also direct results of the testing and observation of animals. On the other hand, many people believe that animal testing is cruel and inhumane. In many laboratories animals are subjected to force feeding, food and water deprivation, physical restraints, and infliction of pain. Because the animals cannot protect themselves, many people argue that exploiting animals to better the lives of humans is wrong and should not be permitted.
One word comes to mind when I think of animal testing: cruel. Animal testing has been a subject of debate for many years. While most people think that using animals to test products is a reasonable approach, in reality the outcome does not always show how the products will react on humans, and the animals suffer unnecessarily. The United States needs to ban all animal testing like the European Union did because testing on animals is cruel and animals should not be dying from it.
Animal experimentation is not as good as it may seem to humans because we are not feeling it. It is cruel to animals to experience this. Many experts say is the only way to make new medicine, but you have to think about the animal. Many people don't even know what happens during experimentation on animals.
Every year about 100 million animals suffer through being poisoned, shocked, and burned for unsuccessful medical research. Some may believe that animal testing is a crucial part to medical research and should be used more frequently. Others believe the pain and suffering inflicted upon the animals is morally wrong and should not be done, no matter what benefits come from it.
According to an article by PETA, “experiments on animals are cruel, expensive and generally inapplicable to humans” (PETA 1). This shows how not only many laboratories and companies that use animals in their experiments are wasting money and time, but also wasting countless lives of animals. As a human, one does not have to suffer through unconsenting pain because no one would ever consent to be treated the way lab rats would be treated. A study done by the Journal of the American Medical Association, found that” medical treatments developed in animals rarely translated to humans” (Hackam, Redelmeier 1). This being said, it is not easy to comprehend why animal testing continues. However, as a community people think that “the benefits to humans does not justify the harm to animals” (Hajar 1). This goes to show how people who are pro-animal testing, marginalize the damage animal testing is doing to animals. While some may say that there needs to be alternative methods to animal testing, others may say that without animal testing it would be harder to test out new products for humans. Yet, with the information given by doctors Hackam and Redelmeier, it is clear to see that the use of animals is no longer
In modern society, animal experimentation has triggered a controversy; consequently, vast amount of protests have been initiated by the animal rights community. Although these organizations have successfully broadcasted their concerns toward animal experimentation, its application continues to survive. Sally Driscoll and Laura Finley inform that there remain fifty million to one-hundred million animals that experience testing or experimentation throughout the world on a yearly basis. But despite opposition, animal experimentation, the use of experiments on animals in order to observe the effects an unknown substance has on living creatures, serves multiple purposes. Those particular purposes are: research of the living body, the testing of
Although not as strictly addressed, there is still a schism when it comes to the matters of experimentation involving animals. Those in opposition of it see it as being against the will of the animal, because animals have no say in the matter. However, through animal experimentation there has been vast medical advances in hospitals and veterinarians , research has led to cures for various diseases that would normally take many more years to cure, and the use of animals is highly ethical considering what could be the alternative, although there is progress being made to change these measures. This is how animal experimentation is of use to society for humans and animals.
Millions of animals are used to test consumer products, but they also become victims of experiments for medical research. In The Ethics of Animal Research (2007) both authors state that there have been many medical advances with the development of medicines and treatments as a result of research conducted on animals (para 1). These medical improvements have helped many people be able to enjoy life, but some people still believe that animal research is mean and avoidable .... ... middle of paper ... ...
Imagine your sweet cat locked in a cage inside a laboratory with other various animals. Millions of animals every year are locked up in labs for testing. Animals are used to test medications, cosmetics, biology lessons, and for medical training. Thousands of mice, rats, primates, cats, dogs, and other animals are used for testing. Most of these animals will die in cruel testing experiments. Animal testing is tortures to the animals, an unreliable option for medication, and there are better safer options for testing.
The people claim that, animal testing infringes animal’s rights, makes animal suffering in the experiments, and some of animal experiments may never be useful to human beings. This is true, but we cannot stop animal testing. According to the article “Facts about Animal Research” by Cook (2006), the smallpox has disappeared from the earth because scientists get vaccines from cows. Also, the scientists got insulin, which is the only drug, which can control diabetes, from dogs and fish. Many medicines are related to medical animal experiments, we cannot give up medical animal experiments.
Every year, millions of animals experience painful, suffering and death due to results of scientific research as the effects of drugs, medical procedures, food additives, cosmetics and other chemical products. Basically, animal experimentation has played a dominant role in leading with new findings and human advantages. Animal research has had a main function in many scientific and medical advances in the past decade and is helping in the understanding of several diseases. While most people believe than animal testing is necessary, others are worried about the excessive suffering of this innocent’s creatures. The balance between the rights of animals and their use in medical research is a delicate issue with huge societal assumptions. Nowadays people are trying to understand and take in consideration these social implications based in animals rights. Even though, many people tend to disregard animals that have suffered permanent damage during experimentation time. Many people try to misunderstand the nature of life that animals just have, and are unable to consider the actual laboratory procedures and techniques that these creatures tend to be submitted. Animal experimentation must be excluded because it is an inhumane way of treat animals, it is unethical, and exist safer ways to test products without painful test.