On annual basis millions of animals are genetically manipulated, force-fed chemicals, scalded, blinded, maimed, and otherwise killed and hurt in the name of science by the scientific centers, cosmetic companies, and institutions in all parts of the world. The products that human beings use such as cleaning such as cleaning products, lip gloss, soaps, and eyeshadows etc., may be tested on cats, dogs, guinea, rabbits, rats, and other animals. The practice of using the animals by the various institution in testing has been debated for various decades on whether it is morally wrong or right. Animal testing entails developing various experiments using animals to determine the effectiveness of various products and drugs. In the United States, it is estimated that about 26 million animals are used in experiments on an annual basis. Various animal welfare groups and scientists have opposed such practice training them as inhuman. Despite the numerous groups around the world opposing animal testing, the practice is still alive. Various animal activities groups advocate the prohibition of the practice and the adoption of alternative testing methods.
New commercial products and medical treatments are tested on animals first to ascertain the safety and the level of toxicity in products before they can be used by human beings. Various scientists all over the globe conduct the medical experiments by the use of animals such as monkeys or rats to for an indebt understanding the pharmacology and pathology effect of the drugs. Various drugs on the shelves can only be used by individuals after undergoing numerous tests on the animals. The use of animals in the biomedical sector can be traced to many centuries ago. Both scientists relied on animals to perform various tests. Various scientists who were determined to improve the field of medicine performed experiments using live animals.
Against Animal Testing
Human beings have distinct feelings for animals; some view animals as tools for furthering experimental research or advancing medical techniques while others perceive them to be companions. Although, the human race often benefit from the successful animal testing, the death, the pain and suffering of animals is not worth the possible benefits (Barnard 13). Therefore no animals should undergo pain and suffering for the sake of advancement in the human medicine. In many cases, animal testing is always ineffective and futile because animals do not exhibit most of the diseases that affect human beings, for example, Parkinson's, schizophrenia, heart diseases, and cancer. The experiments can thus belittle the complexity of most human diseases that are affected widely due to socioeconomic factors, psychological factors, genetic factors and a wide range of other personal experiences. The unreliability of experiments that are performed on animals can make the outcome dangerous for human beings if results are misconstrued and exaggerated. There are certain cases where the human drug trial have been cleared as being safe for human beings after conducting the test on animals resulting in the death of the human beings. Animal testing is indeed unreliable and should be stopped.
Animal testing is indeed a cruel exercise that should be condemned in all corners of the world. Based on the study that was conducted by Humane Society International, most of the animals that are utilized in various experiments are subjected to burns and other injuries to observe the healing process, undergo prolonged periods of physical restraints and are subjected to inhalation and force-feeding. If such atrocious acts were committed by any citizens outside the authorized laboratories, they would amount to felonies. But millions of animals continue to suffer and die in the laboratories with no or little protection from cruelty. All animals feel fear and pain just as people do, and their overwhelming natural inclination, like human beings, are to be free.
The suffering that is inflicted on various animals can be indeed traumatizing. Some of the past sets involved: the mice and rats being poisoned with chemicals for about a half a year to induce cancer, the pregnant ships being partially suffocated and their brains being brain drained with the toxic chemicals and the genetically modified mice being bred to suffer motor dysfunction, anxiety, and paralysis, then suspended by the tail to determine their abnormal behavior (Campbell 17). Most of the animals that are used in experiments are deprived if anesthesia. Therefore, the test can be quite agonizing for the respective animals because the deaths can take various days. Consequently, various animals are subjected to distressing discomfort when they are used in the cosmetic testing and laboratories, the process should be halted to avert additional waste of the animal life.
Various researchers violate the rights animal tests when they subject them to research. Just like the human being, animals also have the moral right to a respectful treatment. The animal rights are violated when scientists reduce them to tools that can be used in experiments. The animal should be accorded equal respect similar to that one given to human beings. Most of the tests are often painful and cause irreversible damages on the respective animals. The animals do not willingly sacrifice themselves of advancement of new technology and human welfare (Grimm 54). The decision is left to human beings because animals can never vocalize their choices or preferences. When the scientist decide to use various animals in research, they violate their right without being mindful to the value of life and wellbeing. The animal experiments that are conducted for the sake of advancement in the human medicine, as well as technology, should be halted because it violates the rights of animals.
Testing various industrial products is unnecessary and unacceptable because there are numerous alternatives in the market. Several cosmetic institutions have sought for better ways of testing their products without having to involve animals. Some of the companies are developing products through the use of natural ingredients that have a long history of being safe for human consumption. Still, various persons ponder that animal testing is tolerable because animals do not express themselves just as human beings do and have no rights. However, the animal testing in the cosmetic and medical research can never be justified on the ground that they are lower on the evolutionary chart to people because animals have features that resemble individuals. Most of the animals on the planet possess organs and internal systems and organs that are similar to the human beings. In addition, animals have desires, needs, goals, thoughts, and feelings that are similar to the human capabilities and functions. The similarities should never be exploited for the selfish interests of the human being but rather respected.
An Alternative to Animal Testing
Using the alternative methods of testing that do not harm animals does not mean putting human beings at risk. Replacing is meant to improve the quality as well as the humanness of the science. Almost all type of animal and human cells can be generated in labs. Both the diseased and healthy tissues donated from the human volunteer can offer more pertinent ways of studying diseases and human biology than animal testing. Various body organs can be offered from surgery for instance transplants, cosmetic surgeries, and biopsies (Taylor 24). The human tissue can also be used when an individual has died. The computer models can also be used to replicate various aspects of the human body. The computer models of the musculoskeletal, digestive, skin, kidneys, and lungs already exist. Such computer models can be used to conduct various experiments based on the mathematical data and existing information. The advancements in technology have allowed the advancement of medical techniques that can be used to study human behavior.
Conclusion
As the science continues to transform the world beyond what human beings know. The medical testing and research also need to transition to embrace various alternatives rather than depending on animals. On one hand the, those against animal testing argue that the practice is cruel because it subjects the various animal to much pain and leads to the various deaths. On the other hand, the proponents of animal testing state that exercise has played a crucial role in trading various medical conditions and developing medicines. However, animal testing costs a lot of money and resources considering that animals must be housed, treated, and fed for a certain period of time which can be long. The solutions and the result found through animal testing can never be precise. The scientists should use the alternative methods that work well.
Work Cited
Barnard, Chris. "Ethical Regulation And Animal Science: Why Animal Behaviour Is Special". Animal Behaviour, vol 74, no. 1, 2007, pp. 5-13. Elsevier BV, doi:10.1016/j.anbehav.2007.04.002.
Campbell, Ross. "Justifying Force Against Animal Cruelty". SSRN Electronic Journal, 2016. Elsevier BV, doi:10.2139/ssrn.2711395.
Grimm, David. "Slideshow: PETA’S Crusade Against Animal Research". Science, 2015. American Association For The Advancement Of Science (AAAS), doi:10.1126/science.aaa6375.
Taylor, Katy. "Experiences Of The REACH Testing Proposals System To Reduce Animal Testing". ALTEX, 2014. ALTEX Edition, doi:10.14573/altex.1311151.
