Animal Experimentation

Author: Former Student
Essay topic: Animal Experimentation

United States labs are responsible for the deaths of more than 100 million animals every year. Animal testing and experimentation is extremely common in the world we live in, yet most people don't know how cruel, inhumane, and unreliable these experiments are.

Animal testing is not a reliable way to test human products. In 2013 monkeys were infected with the HIV virus and scientists worked to develop a vaccine to cure it. The vaccine proved ineffective when tested on humans and made them more susceptible to the disease. About 92% of drugs proven safe for animals fail in human trials because they do not work (Limitations and Dangers). Animal testing and experimentation can be traced as far back as the second century, so why are we still using such outdated methods? In the pre-technology eras we knew virtually nothing about medical science; therefore animals were used to gain a greater understanding of the heart, the lungs, and other major organs. There is no longer any reason for animals to be tortured in labs.

Animal testing is cruel and inhumane; causing animals to suffer from extreme pain and other forms of torture such as forced feeding, forced inhalation, food and water deprivation, and physical restraint, all without anesthesia or pain killers. Thousands and thousands of animals are poisoned, blinded, and tortured yearly; it is rare for an animal to survive the laboratory experiments they endure. One dog named Shy Guy was sold by a dog dealer to Georgia Regents University (GRU) where he was killed after being subjected to dental experiments.

Modern science has created several alternatives for animal experimentation such as embryonic stem cell tests and human skin model tests. One of the best solutions for testing cosmetics or other similar products is using human skin left over from surgeries which is already being used on a small scale. Also, in school science labs, I believe more animal models should be implemented. A study proved students who used a rat model and students who used a real rat scored equally well on tests (PUBLISHED AND UNPUBLISHED COMPARATIVE STUDIES). More companies should take the pledge to be cruelty free.

Supporting non cruelty brands such as Method, Urban Decay, Smashbox, or Lush can make a difference. People can help by educating themselves on which companies experiment on animals and supporting the right brands. To help, people can also email or call places such as Georgia Regents University who test on animals. Students can call 1-800-922-FROG if they are required to do a dissection in school they do not wish to participate in. Together we can make a difference in the lives of animals.

Animals do not have a voice and rely upon people to stand up for them. The United States needs to implement more anti-cruelty lab tests, have more cruelty free brands, and replace dissections in schools. The bottom line is: Animal testing is unfair. Think of the animals all across the United States such as Shy Guy being killed all in the name of science.

Works Cited

"Alternatives to Animal Testing." PETA. N.p., n.d. Web. Dec. 2014.

"Animal Testing 101." PETA. N.p., n.d. Web. Dec. 2014.

"Animals in Laboratories." Humane Society. N.p., n.d. Web.

"Limitations and Dangers." Neavs. N.p., n.d. Web. Dec. 2014.

PUBLISHED AND UNPUBLISHED COMPARATIVE STUDIES OF DISSECTION AND NON-ANIMAL ALTERNATIVES (n.d.): 2. Web.

Scutti, Susan. "Animal Testing: A Long, Unpretty History." Medical Daily. N.p., 27 June 2013. Web. Dec. 2014.