Animal Testing Essay, Research Paper

The American Medical Association has stated that it believes that research-involving animals is essential to maintaining and improving the health of human beings. They point out that all advances in medical science in the 20th century, from antibiotics to organ transplants, has been achieved either directly or indirectly through the use of animals in laboratory experiments. Animal research is being used to find a cure for AIDS, cancer, heart disease, aging and congenital defects. The AMA claims that the result of these experiments has been the elimination or control of many infectious diseases. This has meant a longer, healthier, better life with much less pain and suffering for humans. Animal research is for the most part cruel and inhumane. Animal rights activists have gathered large amounts of information that has resulted in the closing down of many laboratories that violate anti-cruelty statutes. Almost daily we read about scientists and researchers who conduct animal experiments that do not consider pain and suffering. Laboratories are cited for filthy conditions, cages that are barely large enough to house animals and breeding conditions that are cruel. Animal research is often unnecessary. History has shown that many important medical advances have been made by clinical research and close observations of human patients, not animals. There are countries that don’t use healthy animals to train veterinarians or teach surgical techniques. In England only sick or injured animals are used for training. Most work, in fact, is performed on animal cadavers. Humans can give informed consent. Monkeys and dogs can’t. To accelerate Federal Drug Administration acceptance of new drugs many AIDS patients have said they are willing to try them first, so why not let them? In most cases the drugs will need to be tested on humans before the FDA will approve them anyway and it is a known fact that not all drugs work the same on humans as they do on animals. In “The Plague Dogs,” by Richard Adams, the author’s satirization of British animal testing practices succeeding in the drafting of new protective laws. Public awareness is a powerful tool. Many popular cosmetic and health care manufacturers advertise that animals will never be used for testing of their products. People should boycott companies that do not have a positive anti-animal testing policy.

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