Animal Testing Should Not Be Banned - 847 Words

Nearly every disease known to humans has been researched at some point in time using animals (Lee). As a matter of fact 100 million animals are used in chemical, food, cosmetic, and medical testing every year (Mendoza). Testing on animals can be cruel and inhumane. Many of the test done to animals have already been performed. Despite animal testing alternatives many researchers still use animals in research today. Animals should not be used in research. Specifically 1.8 million animals are used in university licensed research. For example Oxford University has used 190,169 animals and Cambridge University has used 169,353 animals (Connor 16). Several other universities also use animals in research. Furthermore not all animals are used in†¦show more content†¦Furthermore, many animals are being subjected to sickness, pain, and early death (Moss A.12). For instance live animals are sometimes used in car crash testing (Manning) and one facility removes monkey fetuses by C-secti on, aborts, and sells the fetuses along with the monkeys’ breast milk (Lush). It is important to relize that animals can feel physical pain and can understand and experience emotional pain. In particular monkeys have the intellectual capability similar to young children (Panahi 18). Plus, mice and rats are compassionate, intelligent, and social creatures. For the most part, the understanding of these animals has not reached the public, but over time more and more people have gotten to know what goes on inside research labs (Avila). The battle over animal rights dates back to the 17th century (Spevack). In the year 1655 Edmund O’ Meara states that the pain a subject endures during a dissection will interfere with the accuracy of the results. Then in the year 1892 the American Humane Association wants laws prohibiting the repetition of already known tests. By the time 1959 the three R’s came out: Reduction- fewer animals used in experiments, Replacement- use non-a nimal alternatives, and Refinement- try not to cause pain, distress, or suffering (â€Å"Animal Rights Timeline†).