Standing Up for Those Who without a Voice
Imagine feeling helpless and being exploited by other people, with no voice or control over oneself. Imagine having no rights or protection under the law. This is the life of most animals in animal testing. Animal testing is the use of live animals, excluding humans, in experiments for scientific research. These experiments generally cause the animals pain, distress, harm, and suffering. Furthermore, scientists usually kill the animals after the experiment. Examples of animal testing include forcing dangerous substances into animals’ bodies, exposing animals to radiation, and putting animals in stressful or frightening situations (Cruelty Free International). Many animals in scientific research are
…show more content…
The Animal Welfare Act requires a mandatory body to review the activity of the laboratories is also self-chosen, which causes corruption to occur. Each facility that experiments on animals covered by the Animal Welfare Act must have an Institutional Animal Care and Use Committees (IACUC) committee, which are self-policing bodies. The IACUC consists of a veterinarian, an experienced scientist in animal research, a professional not involved in scientific research, and a community representative not involved with the company in any way (National Research Council 31-32). In the laboratories, the IACUC reviews proper animal care, approves of animal research procedures that the laboratories conduct to ensure that they are in compliance with the Animal Welfare Act, and trains scientists or staff how to ethically handle animals in the laboratory (Cardon et. al). However, the IACUC can be corrupt or rule in favor of the laboratory. The companies in charge of the laboratories are the providers of the funds, facilities, and personnel of the IACUC. Therefore, the company can sway the IACUC’s ruling in favor of the business because the companies picked these IACUC members to oversee the ethical treatment in the facilities. In addition, the IACUC cannot actually prevent the laboratories from causing suffering in animal experimentation if the scientist deems the experiment as a scientific need. This means that if the experimenters claim that the use of procedures that subject laboratory animals to pain and distress is necessary to further human health, then the IACUC will approve the experiment. This is a problem that needs to be fixed because it allows scientific experimenters to conduct any procedure that will cause suffering to the animals. This needs to change because these committees do not protect the animals, it is only a weak barrier to lessen animal suffering (Rowan).
Animal testing is the inhumane act of using conscious, innocent animals to test products without care of what the aftermath may be. According to PETA, the largest animal rights organization in the world, more than 100 million animals are slaughtered in U.S. laboratories every year. Those who have the heart to inflict this type of brutality do this by immobilizing them in restraint devices for hours, in order to drill holes into their skulls and have their spinal cords crushed (PETA). Along with the physical atrocities that humans are forcing these vulnerable animals into, humans are also isolating them from their own kind, confining them in barren cages, and thus traumatizing them for the rest of their lives. Those who possess an ounce of compassion
The physical suffering and discomfort that animals test subjects experience during research that are frequently faulty, limited, and expensive are the factors that advocates for stronger animal rights fight to end. Each day that an animal is subjected to animal testing is another day that they suffer. The test subjects become nothing but a prisoner to the scientists and researchers. Animals in laboratories are permitted by law to be “burned, shocked, poisoned, isolated, starved, drowned, addicted to drugs, and brain damaged” all for scientific research (“Cruelty to Animals”). As stated prior, once the experiments are over the animals either die or are thrown back into their confined cages or stocks and used for a later experiment.
Animal testing has been a controversial issue for the past thirty years. Society feels as if animal testing is a technique of the past and should be outlawed in the United States like the majority of the world. Federal law shows us how little protection animals have, numerous recalled or discontinued medications are proof that research on animals to predict effects on the human body is highly unreliable. The humane society provides numerous examples of the cruel treatments and conditions animals must endure. Scientists have presented us with alternatives that are more cost-effective and produce less waste with higher accuracy rates.
About 26 million animals are used for testing every year in the United States. Some people say that animal testing has contributed too many lifesaving cures, whereas others believe would believe animal testing is cruel. Animal testing is any scientific experiment or test in which a live animal is forced to undergo something, such as medical treatments, to determine the toxicity of medications, check the safety of products destined for human use, and other biomedical, commercial, and health care uses. Which can be harmful towards the animals and beneficial to humans. Animal testing has contributed too many life-saving cures and treatments.
Many people fight for animal rights. They demand that animal testing should be banned. They think that it is very unethical and wasteful. With the development of technologies, people think that animal testing is archaic, and there are many alternative ways. Often animal testing fails, and it is cruel to play with their lives.
Animal testing has always been a controversial and emotive topic. Each year, millions of innocent animals suffer and die in cruel chemical, drug, food, and cosmetics tests, as well as in biology lessons, medical training exercises, and curiosity-driven medical experiments at universities (“PETA Makes Its Case Against Animal Testing” 3). Think of any drug, cosmetic or household cleaner. Chances are, at one time or another, an animal suffered in order to put that product on the shelf. As many as 800 animals are sometimes tested, experts note, before a drug is determined to be safe enough to proceed to a clinical trial (“Animal Testing” 2).
Animal testing is cruel, unjust, and wasteful, and it needs to stop. It is used to test cosmetics, to gain scientific knowledge, and for tests in schools. The Humane Society states that animal testing is tests performed on live animals for basic biology, medicinal, safety, or health research. Even small procedures have the capabilities to cause the animal high stress or discomfort. Some animals are used in future experiments, but most are killed soon after the tests.
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”
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
Animals are subjected to excruciating experiments daily. Countries such as Israel and India have stopped animal testing as well as Britain. “…countless animals are experimented on and then killed…” (Murnaghan 1). Animals are subjected to confined rooms all of their lives, used in painful experiments and then disposed of as if they are an inanimate object.
These animals are starving, scared, and hurting. In recent years animal testing has become more prominent and tons of organizations have been created to inform people like you that we should put an end to animal testing. Why you might ask? Animals have no voice and the need someone to stand
The Animal Welfare Act (AWA) of United States gives some protections to warm-blooded animals used in research laboratories, which only cover 5% of animals normally used for testing. Under AWA, all testing on animals which are covered must minimized the pain on animals and provide appropriate veterinary care. The AWA should make further improvements which cover as much animals as possible. In UK, the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 defined regulated procedures as animal experiments that could potentially cause "pain, suffering, distress or lasting harm”. It prevents animals from unnecessary suffering.
The animals that are subjected to testing do not have a voice in whether or not they can be tested on, and therefore cannot make their own decision. Most animals that are used in testing have never even seen the outside world because
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.
Science researches believe that products which have been tested on animals will make humans’ life better. However, the main concern on this issue is that animals are suffering from unnecessary pain. Animals are mostly exposed to radiation, forced to inhale poisonous gases and injected with harmful substances prior to the experiment. Thus, animal testing should be banned because it is cruel, the result is unreliable and expensive.