The Ethics of Animal Testing: Ending The Cruelty and Pursuing Alternatives

Imagine being forced into a tiny cage with barely any room to move, isolated from your family and bound to endure procedures that will most probably cost you your life. Doesn't sound like your ideal situation does it? Well, that is what millions of animals every year are put through all for animal testing. Animal testing is any scientific experiment or test in which a live animal is forced to undergo something likely to cause them pain, suffering, distress or lasting harm. Animals do not get many of the human diseases that people do, such as major types of heart disease, Parkinson’s disease, or schizophrenia. Instead, humans embed signs of these diseases artificially into animals in laboratories to mimic the human disease. In this argumentative essay I will reflect on animal testing and whether it is right to allow innocent animals to suffer because of us.

I think not, Animal testing is cruel and inhumane. According to Humane Society International, animals used in experiments are generally subjected to force-feeding, forced inhalation, food, and water deprivation, prolonged periods of physical restraint and in many cases killing. Animals do not deserve this, they just like us are living beings. Many people may argue animal testing has contributed to many life-saving cures and treatments such as insulin and polio vaccine however alternative testing methods now exist which can substitute the demand for animals such as in glass testing. Also, there is no evidence that animal experiments were essential in making major medical advances, and if enough money and resources were devoted to animal-free alternatives, other solutions would be found. If we only devote a bit of our time to protest against this injustice, millions of lives can be saved. Furthermore, drugs that pass animal tests are not necessarily safe. The 1950s sleeping pill thalidomide, which caused 10,000 babies to be born with severe deformities, was tested on animals before its commercial publicity. So not only animals were at loss but thousands of children too were permanently affected. The treatments showing ‘promise’ in animals rarely work in humans. Not only are time, money and animals’ lives being wasted with a huge amount of suffering, but effective remedies are being mistakenly dismissed and dangerous treatments are being brought into the society as some chemicals that are unproductive on or damaging to animals prove to be helpful when used by humans. Aspirin, for example, is fatal for some animal species whereas humans derive great benefit from it. Is it worth for animals to go through so much pain all for inaccurate results, which will probably cause more harm than benefit?

Many people also believe there's nothing wrong with animal testing as animal research is highly controlled with laws in place to protect animals from mistreatment, yet according to research, 95% of animals used in tests are not protected by the Animal Welfare Act. The Animal Welfare Act does not cover rats, mice, fish, and birds, which constitute around 95% of the animals used in research. These animals are especially defenseless against abuse without the security of the Animal Welfare Act. Are we going to let these animals suffer?

All suffering is undesirable, whether it be in humans or animals. Victimizing against animals because they do not have the cognitive sense, language, or moral understanding that humans do is no more justifiable than discriminating against individuals with mental disabilities. So how can we show our support? By always making sure the products we purchase are cruelty-free and educating others about the reality of animal experimentation and together we can put a stop to animal testing once and for all.