Arguments Against Animal Experimentation

In these animal testing facilities, these animals go through unthinkable torture for our own selfish purposes. From being injected with unsafe chemicals to being locked inside of small cages, what these animals experience in these facilities is completely unethical. Countless undercover surveillance videos have been released depicting horrible scenes of the torture these animals go through on a daily basis. Rabbits, dogs, fruit flies and monkeys are popular animals used in animal testing facilities. The National Institute of Health has recently decided to end its support of chimpanzee testing research. Dr. Collins, a director in the National Institute of Health has spoken on this decision stating that, “We find no evidence that there is a need to continue to do research of an invasive sort on chimpanzees, not now and not going into the future” (2). As what Dr. Collins has stated, there is simply no need to perform such tortuous experimentations on these innocent animals. One of the reasons as to why this decision was made was because the chimpanzee species is becoming extinct according to the federal Endangered Species Act. This is another issue that emerges from animal experimentation, the worry on the diminishing numbers of these animals used on animal experimentation.
Chimpanzees and other nonhuman primates are popular choices for these animal testing facilities because chimpanzees are the humans closest living genetic relative (Tomkins 1). Because of this reason, many people argue
Luevano 2 that we don't have any other choice but to experiment of these monkeys since we have to see how these chemicals react to these living animals. The reactions of different drugs and chemicals vary from animals to animal. Monkeys for example, cause birth defects while morphine stimulates cats and horses. Another thing to be mindful of, is that these animals are being tortured in laboratories which causes them to experience extreme psychological distress and using these drugs on the animals tampers with the the result of the drug. Most of these animals are subjected to horrible conditions and living a life of pain and torture. Similar to how we have our own rights, animals have rights of their own. The Humane Society International has stated that the animals in the testing facilities are commonly forced inhalation, experience food and water deprivation, prolonged periods of physical restraint, and burns and wounds to study the healing process of the drugs forcibly and painfully injected into them. Because of this, animal testing is cruel and inhumane to these innocent animals. A popular experiment in cosmetic companies is the Draize eye test, which determines the effects of shampoos and other products if they go in contact with an eye. Rabbits are commonly used for this procedure and their eyes are forcibly put in contact with the company's experimental shampoos sometimes their eye sockets being held open by clips and sometimes even for multiple days left with their eyes open and the products in their eyes. This is an example of the inhumane procedure that these animals go through just for the sole purpose of these companies to test the effects and their products. These companies would often argue when presented with a disagreement of their cruel procedures, is that there is no other way to test the effects of these products if they were to be used by humans. There are many countless companies who are
Luevano 3 animal cruelty free and instead use something that is called In Vitro testing, which includes studying cell structures in a petri dish.
This process is actually more effective than animal testing because human cells can be used to experiment the effects of these products. It doesn't matter how many animals are killed and tested on because in the ends a human will always be the last subject experimented on. After All, these companies are using these animals to study the effects their products will have on humans so why do they not test on humans or human cells? This method is less torturous and cruel to the animals and would also be much more beneficial for companies and their
products. As stated earlier, the main reason for these companies to test their products on animals is to figure out the reaction and result their product would have on humans. But countless scientific data has been issued stating that animals make terrible test subjects for this purpose since animals are very different from human beings, therefore making animals poor test subjects for determining the reaction of cosmetic products. A study conducted by revealed that 92 out of 100 drugs that pass being tested on animals actually in humans. The reason for this is because the anatomic and cellular differences between animals and humans are vastly different which makes animals poor subjects to test the effects of drugs and chemicals on humans. The sleeping pill thalidomide was popularly used in the 1950’s and this pill was severely tested on animals prior to its release. Despite it being tested on animals for its “safety” on humans, it caused over 10,000 babies to be born with severe deformities. Another example of the unreliability of animal tested products on humans, was the arthritis drug Vioxx. When this product was tested on mice, it showed that the drug created a protective effect on the hearts of mice. However, when this
Luevano 4 product went on the market, it went on to cause over 27,000 heart attacks and cardiac deaths. These two drugs show how unreliable animal tested products are on used by humans. As stated earlier, the In Vitro testing method is much more effective in testing the reaction of these products because actual human cells are used therefore making it more effective to see which ones would be safe for human use. Despite many companies starting to realize how terrible the animal testing industry is, many companies still persist on testing their products on animals even though there many less harmful and cruel alternatives to ensure their products are safe for human use. These innocent animals go through days of pain and torture until their death all for the selfish purposes of many companies. The inconsiderate people who allow this to happen fail to realize that animals can suffer too like humans. The suffering of the animals is completely unnecessary when there are so many better alternatives that do not require such torture. In fact, animal tests are more expensive than alternative methods and are a waste of both the animals lives and government research funds. A study by the Humane Society International compared several animal tests and an in vitro test. An animal test would cost approximately $32,000 while the in vitro cost $11,000 making it much less expensive. The US National Institute of Health spends $14 billion dollars on animal research when their in vitro counterpart is far less expensive and does not require the killing of an innocent animal. In a recent study conducted by the science journal Nature revealed that 90% of scientists agreed that the testing of animals is necessary for scientific research. However, if less cruel and expensive alternatives exist, then why not take the former since it would benefit both the person and the animal will remain
Luevano 5 unharmed? The Animal Welfare Act was signed into law in 1966 and was designed to help regulate the treatment of animals in scientific research. Despite this act’s good intentions, it has not succeeded in preventing the horrible animal abuse that exists in research laboratories. There has been many cases where many laboratories were found to have 338 violations of this act all in Louisiana. Surveillance video shows these Louisiana laboratories abusing their captures primates shooting them with a dart gun and removing screaming chimps away from their mothers. If congress is unable to regulate this act on the scientific facilities then why even bother having it if it still isn't enough to protect the animals from unnecessary abuse? For the past couple of years, any companies are taking action to stop supporting the animal testing industry by completely stopping testing their products on animals. Companies such as Lush, Nyx, and Bath & Body works are companies that completely prohibit testing their products on animals. On the other hand, companies such as Dove, Clorox, Mac, and Lysol are all companies that continue testing their products on animals. There are many more popular brand who still support this industry even though there many better alternatives to ensuring that their products are safe for human use. What we can do to end the animal testing industry is to completely get rid of and stop supporting companies that still continue to test their products on animals. There are many alternative products that are not testing on animals and are just as effective as their counterparts. Animal testing violates these animals right’s and just causes pain to these innocent animals while there exists cruelty free alternative products that are available for us to use.