Animal Testing

Thesis Statement

Just as, unethical experimentation on a group of humans cannot be justified by a benefit to humanity at large, the same holds true for animal experimentation.

Introduction

Nowadays, animal testing is a subject that commonly occurs. Some people think it needed in research meanwhile others think it not allowed to sacrifice animals for sciences because they treated badly during their lifetime. Although, some opponents do not consider the fact that animals are also used in the food industry. Laboratory animals are breed for sciences and will guarantee improvements in this field so everyone would benefit from it. In particular, pharmaceutical, medical and cosmetic industries and household companies can improve their products by testing them on animals, leading to a better life quality and more satisfied customers (Animal Testing, 10).

More than 100 million animals every year suffers and dies in cruel chemical, drug, food and cosmetic tests, biology lessons, medical training exercises, and curiosity-driven medical experiments. Exact numbers are not available because mice, rats, birds and cold-blooded animals—who make up more than 95 percent of animals used in experiments—are not covered by even the minimal protections of the Animal Welfare Act and accordingly go uncounted. Many of these tests are not even required by law, and they often produce inaccurate or misleading results (Dennis, 98).

Background

The case for animal welfare is perhaps the strongest for household pets. According to a survey conducted by the Humane Society of the United States in 2009, estimates suggest that 39 percent of American households own at least one dog. In general, animals as pets evoke the strongest emotional ties with humans. It is not surprising then that incidences of pet abuse or abandonment provoked strong condemnation from many people, particularly pet owners. The majority of pets, however, receive appropriate treatment from their owners, and it is fair to say that animals as pets have the highest level of welfare compared to their counterparts in other spaces of interaction. One explanation for this is that people do not see these pets as mere utilitarian objects, compared with other types of animal use.

Discussion

Every year, millions of animals blinded, poisoned, and killed in crude tests, to evaluate the toxicity of consumer products and their ingredients. Animal testing is necessary for medical purposes and medical advances. However, there needs to be a sense of conservatism because animal testing is not necessary for things like cosmetics and other unnecessary things.

Animal testing conducted in research and medicine since a very long time. Animal testing leads to the formation of three groups of people. The first group is one that supports animal testing, the second group that opposes it and the third group that has no interesting in the subject (Information for Review of Activities Involving Animals, 06).

Animals, that include invertebrates, rats, mice, birds, frogs, fish and others, act as subjects for such testing purposes. Numerous universities and colleges, research centers, pharmaceutical companies, technical institutes and medical schools use these animals for carrying out experimentation for research purposes in order to try their inventions ...