Animal Testing

Animal testing is the use of non-human animals in experiments. You can look at this in two ways: a morally unjust behavior that should be stopped for the well-being of the helpless animals, or as a benefit to humankind in the long-run due to advances in medical research because of the testing. There are basically three types of animal testing: product testing, research development, and for education and training purposes. Product testing animals are used to test the safety of products for consumption. Research development tests are performed for advancements in medicine and science. Lastly, education and training use animal testing to teach anatomy and to train medical students. Although in some cases animals maybe abused, there have been so many discoveries with medicine with testing drugs on animals. But besides the minimal benefits, animal-testing is, in the here-and-now, morally and ethically unjust towards animals.

Researchers that perform these experiments claim that people don't realize how effective animal testing is. They say it allows so many advances in research that would otherwise be lost if animal testing was never used in the first place. Scientists use animals to test a theory and then change their theories based on the information obtained from each experiment. There might be some achievements of medical research based on animal testing, like providing people with vaccines and antibiotics, and bringing a new outlook on life for millions around the world. Supporters of animal testing also believe that scientific and medical goals using animal testing is desirable, so long as animal suffering and use is minimized. But of course, this is better said than done, as animal protection laws, like the Animal Welfare Act (AWA), are being lightly ignored especially by cosmetic and pet companies. The two main reasons that all companies do not become cruelty free are: the fear for human safety and the fear of product liability suits. The first reason is justifiable, but the second reason is for the companies' own selfish desires. They don't seem to understand the amount of pain they inflict on animals by running tests mainly for the sake of keeping their company alive. It is also a cruel, poor scientific practice. Some animal rights activists believe that medical progress is being held back by misleading animal models, tests that are outdated, and unreliability in predicting effects in humans. Most also think that the costs outweigh the benefits, or that animals have an intrinsic right not to be used for experimentation.

Animals, believed by animal rights activists and supporters of animal protection, are used for pointless tests and suffer tremendously. They stress that the main disadvantage of animal testing is the inhumane treatment of animals in tests due to the fact that anesthesia, for the help of pain, is often not used. It is not used because it would interfere with scientific results. But because