Animal Testing Outline

Animal testing has been a controversial topic for many generations throughout the world. People against animal testing say that animal testing is cruel and inhumane and we should not be able to experiment on animals. They argue that alternate resources and methods are available to scientist so that testing on animals can be avoided. Also, they argue that humans and animals are so different in their genetic makeup that the results taken from testing on animals can be completely different than on humans. People that support animal testing say that many important medical discoveries have been found using animal testing and that it is very beneficial to finding cures and also finding harmful things as well.

For instance, the vaccine for polio was developed by the testing of rabbits, monkeys, and rodents (Hayhurst 9). They also acknowledge that there are strict regulations used in laboratories to prevent animals from being mistreated, however we see many mistreated animals. Performing test on animals is mistreating animals. Scientist also state that animal testing is the only way to observe and research a living organism, however what is the purpose in testing on animals when the test are meant for humans? Is animal testing really beneficial or is it just a waste of money and animals life? Animal testing is not right because it is inhumane, costly, and unpredictable (Should Animals be…). Animal testing doesn’t benefit anything, it hurts peoples wallets and it hurts animals.

All lives are created equally, no matter if you’re a human or an animal. Life is life and one life isn’t any different than another. Humans, being on the top of the food chain, seem to forget that lives are equal and what they’re doing when it comes to animal testing is wrong. Animal testing is torture. Humans don’t look at it from the animal’s point of view. Imagine yourself, born in a lab in a cage. All you do all day is lay there and get fed substances that aren’t good for you, but you have to eat it or you’ll die? I’m sure you wouldn’t want to get poked and prodded with sharp needles all day. What kind of life is that? This is what millions of animals go through each year. It is estimated that about 26 million animals are tested on yearly (Should Animals be…).

“Ninety five percent of animals used in experiments are not protected by the federal Animal Welfare Act, which excludes birds, rats and mice bred for research, and cold blooded reptiles such as retiles and fish (Should Animals be…)” The Animal Welfare Act was passed on August 1966 by President Lyndon Johnson and it was amended three times, in 1970, 1976, and 1985. The Animal Welfare Act is the only law in the United States that regulates the treatment of animals in research. It’s a shame that only five percent of animals used for researching are protected by this act. All animals should be protected when it comes to testing. It’s not fair how some animals are protected and others aren’t.

There are many different types of test used on animals. Scientist and researchers are coming up with new stuff to test animals with by the day. Some types of test used on animals are: eye and skin test, where chemicals are poured into each eye without pain relief, which can cause blindness in the animal and severe pain. An eye irritation test was used in the 20’s by using mustard gas on rabbits, they compared the results to humans exposed to poisonous gases in World War 1(Welsh 50). How is that useful? It’s just wasting animal’s lives. Animals are also tested with “Repeated force feeding tactics” (11 Facts about….). Repeated force feeding involves forcing animals to eat certain substances over and over just for observation. What is the point in this? Another experiment performed on animals is killing pregnant animals and examining and experimenting on the fetuses. Killing a mother and killing a baby that hasn’t even been born yet is wrong and it should be stopped. Killing an animal for no reason is cruel. That’s a life you are taking away. Just imagine if it was you. Animals should only be killed for food, not to be used for testing.

Animals can be burned, crippled, poisoned, and abused as a result of testing. And the list could go on forever. The way animals are being mistreated and tested on should be against the law. There is a different ways to do research other than killing and abusing animals. There are many alternate test that scientist can use to do there research without harming animals. Alternative test are defined as test that use the three “R’s”, a test that replaces a procedure that uses animals with one that doesn’t, a test that reduces the number of animals used in a procedure, and test that refine a procedure to cause less pain to the animal.(11 Facts about…)

Animal testing causes millions and millions of dollars to go down the drain each year. It’s a shame to see American Tax payer’s money go to no use. The National Institute of Health holds back 14 to 16 billion dollars a year, which is about forty percent of their budget, just for animal testing. “A DNA synthesis test cost up to $32,000 while on the other hand, the alternative test that is available only cost 11,000. Also, a two species cancer study can cost 2 to 4 million dollars.”(Should Animals.. ,Procon.org) The price of these tests is outrageous and animal testing should be stopped so we can put our money to better use. In 2010, The National Institute of Health used 1.9 million heart attack experiments used on dogs, 3 million for fighting experiments on mice, 5 million for obesity research on monkeys, and 16 million for drug addiction experiments on monkeys. Our money should be going to more important things, especially with this economy. It even cost 1 million dollars to found the John Hopkins Center for alternatives for animal testing! It just seems like a huge waste of money.(More than 16 billion….)

According to PETA.org, our money can be going to way more important things such as: 2,200,000 dollars to provide 606 dollars a month to the 2.2 million households in America in which senior citizens go to bed hungry. 380,000 dollars to hire 380,000 teachers to educate our country’s youth so we can develop the future of this country. 1,600,000 dollars to provide 833 dollars a month to the 1.6 million veterans who are homeless or needy. And lastly, 84,000,000 to give back an additional 190 dollars per year in income tax to 84 million American households. Do you see what other things we could be using our money for? Wouldn’t you much rather have your money go towards all of those important causes other than to see two mice fighting in a cage? Animal testing is by far a huge waste of money.

Animal testing isn’t just a waste of money, but also a waste of materials and of animals lives. It should be illegal to kill animals for research. The mass murdering of animals is not okay, even if it is only mice or rats. The testing of Chimpanzee’s is recently declining because it is no longer acceptable to test on Chimpanzees because they are becoming an endangered species. Chimpanzees were used a lot the past few decades because it was discovered they are ninety nine percent alike in DNA with humans. The United States and Gabon are the only two countries’ that allow testing on Chimpanzees. Mice are also used often in experiments because they are ninety eight percent genetically alike to humans. Mice are the most used animal in animal experimentation(Should Animals be…).

Millions of animal’s lives are taken every year and the majority of the time, their lives are sacrificed for bad or wrong research. Ninety two percent of experimental drugs that are effective on animals fail with humans because they are dangerous or don’t work. If there is a risk of it not working on humans before you even experiment on the animals then it truly is just wasting a poor animals life.

In conclusion, animal testing is wrong and it should be outlawed as soon as possible. They call it testing but it is really torturing. All of the money the United States waste on animal testing and researching can go to better causes. It is a waste of money, time, and life. Scientist need to open their eyes and realize the pain and suffering they are causing these poor animals. It isn’t right. I do admit, animal testing can be beneficial, but when you weigh the pros and cons, there are way more cons. I believe that we can make a change. People all over the world, not just in the United Sates, need to take a stand to help save the millions of animals killed each year due to the scientific testing of animals.