Animal Rights Essay, Research Paper

English 103

Paper #1 Animal Rights

An Argument For Animal Research

Medicine has come a very long way since the days

when men used to puncture holes into the skull to

release tension or evil spirits. In the last one

hundred years, for the sake of humanity, numerous

vaccinations have been developed, disease and disorders

of all types have been prevented, surgical techniques

have been advanced, drugs have been developed to cure

ailments and the list continues endlessly. The

progress that has been achieved in knowledge as well as

safety in medical practice is correlated directly to

animal research. It is one argument to control animal

research so that needless death of animals are not

rendered, but it is absolutely different to argue that

animals have rights which supersede human subsistence.

“For most of the past decade, the animal-rights

movement hasn’t merely opposed animal research; it has

tried to destroy it.” ( The Wall Street Journal ,

“Animals and Sickness”, Page 378.) Animal rights

advocates and activists generally have ethical

objections regarding treatment of animals during

experimentation, but the use of animals in research for

the benefit of all people is and always will be

justifiable.

Over 99 percent of all animal experiments are on

rats and mice developed expressly for laboratory use.

“Less than 1 percent of experiments involve cats, dogs,

farm animals, nonhuman primates, frogs, fish, and

birds.” ( Encyclopedia of Medicine, AMA , “Animal

Experimentation”, Page 110.) Animal rights advocates

try to sway public opinion by showing grotesque

pictures of destroyed cats, dogs, farm animals,

dolphins, and monkeys which account for less than 1

percent of the experiments, yet it seems 99 percent of

their advertising and campaigning deal with this one

percent. At least the American public realizes even

those who portray ethical righteousness can be wrong.

For instance, ” an American Medical Association ( AMA )

poll found that 77 percent of adults think that using

animals in medical research is necessary.” ( The Wall

Street Journal , “Animals and Sickness”, Page 378.)

It is a curious thing to see animal welfare groups

try to hinder animal research by threatening

researchers lives and destroying years of data

collected. Animal rights groups are promoting even

more animal testing because the same tests will have to

be repeated to replace the lost data. In every major

medical research university there have been some form

of nuisance to deter animal testing whether it was a

quiet riot or endangering the lives of researchers.

Animal rights groups must realize research is done

out of necessity for human welfare. Whenever possible

alternatives to animal experiments are used. “The

development of modern research techniques, such as CAT

scans, PET scans, needle biopsies, and tissue cultures”

( Stephen Kaufman, M.D., Breakthroughs Don’t Require

Torture , Page 380.) allow researchers to thoroughly

exhaust their options before testing on animals. In

this age where fiscal conservatism is a priority even

when human lives are concerned, researchers are doing

their part to conserve. It takes a lot of time, money,

and care to take care of animals that are going to be

subjects of tests. “No responsible scientist would

incur the substantial expense and devote the

considerable space required for housing and caring of

animals when other equally satisfactory models were

available.” (Michael E. DeBackey, Holding Human Health

Hostage , Page 361.)

Contributions resulting from animal research are

too numerous to mention. All that can be said is

without testing and researching on animals human lives

would have been lost, medical technology would have

been tremendously delayed, and future breakthroughs

will be nearly impossible. When we consider the

diseases that used to terrorize our society 100 or even

50 years ago, its a blessing to realize animals are

similar to humans in biology; That we can confirm

studies of medical and surgical methods before it is

carried out on people. Animal research saves lives.