Controversial Topic

People have different feelings for animals; many look at them as long life companions and others see them as test subjects to further their studies in medical or experimental research. However people perceive animals, animals are being exploited by research facilities and cosmetic companies all across the world. Humans might benefit from the research, but the pain, the suffering, and the deaths of animals is not worth the possible benefits. Animal rights are being violated when they are exploited in research. Jermery Bentham, an English philosopher, wrote in the 1700s: "The question is not, can they reason? nor can they talk? but, can they suffer?" (Singer 2009). Animals and people are very similar; they both feel, think, behave, and experience pain. Animals need to be treated with the same respect as any human being. Yet, animals' rights are violated for experimental research because animals do not have a choice. They are subjected to tests that cause them pain or lead to death, and they are never given the option of not participating in the experiment. "95% of animals used in experiments are not covered by even the minimal protections of the Animal Welfare Act and therefore go uncovered" (Animals Used in Research in the U.S.). The Animal Welfare Act is supposed to regulate the treatment of animals in research but it does not seem to cover the animals being exploited in experimental research. Animals can not vocalize their preferences and choices to the scientist that are performing the test. Animals are living creatures, not simply machines that produce varies data and experimentation needs to be stopped. The pain and suffering experimental animals are subjected to is not worth the possible benefits to humans. "Peter Singer, professor of Bioethics at Princeton University and author of the renowned animal rights book "Animal Liberation," argues that it's illogical to think animals don't experience pain, because they display many of the same