March 12, 2018[dropcap]A[/dropcap]nimals are pretty chill. With their strong sense of smell, detection dogs are used to help find drugs, contraband, blood, etc. which helps the police keep us safe. Sea lions that are trained to monitor the ocean have sensors attached to their fur and they go deep in the ocean and track water pressure and temperature. Bees are pretty sweet as they provide us with honey. They also pollinate about ⅓ of what we eat and most plants in our world which is kind of important too. So many animals like these help our environment and us people.
There is one more important thing animals have done for us that has greatly affected our health, they have participated in animal testing.
Animals in Agony?
Many people think animals that are being used to test drugs are abused and tortured, therefore they need to be saved.
First of all.
How do they know that? Are they there with the animals? Did an animal send them a secret message telling them that they need to be saved? No. Contrary to what the vegans might believe, the researchers testing these animals aren’t evil, sadistic people who enjoy torturing animals. They actually care for the animals and are very nurturing to them.
When undergoing experiments that may bring pain, the animals are given anesthesia or any pain medication so they can be as comfortable as possible. J. David Jentsch, a neuroscientist says in American Psychological Association, “All of our research is supervised by practicing veterinarians who know the state of the art. It’s important at every step to consider the harm that could occur to the subject and try wherever possible to alleviate it.”
In an interview with “The Guardian”, an administrator at an animal testing facility describes the animals to be comfortable and happy to see the staff: “The animals were behind strengthened glass, not unlike you see in a pet shop. Everything was clean and they all seemed content.”
Also, to those people who think they can rescue the animals? Wrong. There are rare situations when an animal can be placed in a home after testing, but other than that, no. In “What Happens to Animals After Testing?”, Ian Murnaghan informs, “Many people do not realise that animals used in experiments are usually bred in captivity. These animals cannot simply be sent into the wild or into homes as they would not be able to cope and survive. While some people question why this does not occur, the reality is that it would not be humane to do so despite it seeming like an attractive option in theory.”
What They’ve Done
Generally, when people hear the words “animal testing” they feel sad and think the animals are being harmed, but they shouldn’t. As said previously, the animals are cared for and no abuse is inflicted upon them. What people should really think about is the importance of all this testing. [perfectpullquote align=”left” bordertop=”false” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]Medicine would definitely not be as lifesaving as it is today without the animals testing the drugs.[/perfectpullquote]
An article called Understand Animal Research states some medical examples involved with animal testing. The medicine in asthma inhalers was developed with the help of animal testing. Asthma? The very common condition where you can’t breathe and can sometimes be life threatening? Yeah, thanks to the medicine being tested in animals, it’s all good. A little thing called smallpox that killed off 90% of the Native American population (yeah, no big deal) was eradicated in the 1900’s due to experimentation with cows. The last report of the very deadly and contagious virus was in 1942, but you know, poor cow. Research and experiments in mice has cancer survival rates rising, though, according to some people, it’s murder and it needs to be stopped.
But just keep setting up the mouse traps and rat poison because you don’t want rodents in your house.
These only a few things that have been solved through animal testing. [perfectpullquote align=”right” bordertop=”false” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]Over the last ten years animal research has played a vital role in nearly every medical breakthrough.[/perfectpullquote]
Why Use Animals
Many people wonder why we use animals. Animals aren’t even the same as people. Why can’t they just use people to test drugs? Those animals don’t deserve the pain they go through.
Okay, think about this. You have a choice between some hamsters and a group of children. Scientists think they have found the cure for cancer and need a group of something living to test it on. The cure will kill you or save you, would you choose the hamsters or the kids?
Well, I’d hope you would choose the hamsters because if you chose the kids, I think you like animals a little too much. Using people just is not right. You might think that is hypocritical, but what is the difference from people eating meat or hunting. You don’t see people protesting that.
The animal anatomy may not be the exact same as a human’s, but it’s pretty close. Scientists try to avoid using animals if they don’t need to, but most of the time a living organism is needed. As said in the American Physiological Society article, “The animal studies are done first to give medical researchers a better idea of what benefits and complications they are likely to see in humans.” They also state that an animal’s lifespan is shorter so they can see the effects over their whole life.
It’s also kind of law to test new drugs in animals. They do test it in humans too, they don’t just test drugs in animals and then put it on the market. The National Research Council Committee explains the whole process. After testing it in animals and making sure it’s safe, they administer is to human volunteers and monitor the effectiveness which is called clinical trials. This all takes about 14 years to complete.
The Point?
If it’s not obvious by now, the whole point of this is that animal testing is beneficial to our life. If it weren’t for this type of research we wouldn’t have the life saving drugs we have today or even drugs as simple as aspirin that relieves headaches. All animals have a great impact in our world from farm animals to police dogs they all help us and we shouldn’t stop them, especially when what they are doing is literally saving our lives.
Featured Image by Pixabay
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ilovedogs
In this article, you talk a lot about animal testing relating to health and science, but what about animal testing for make-up and beauty products? Cosmetics don’t save lives yet animal testing is still being used for something like mascara. According to http://www.hsi.org/issues/becrueltyfree/facts/about_cosmetics_animal_testing.html ,
“100,000-200,000 animals suffer and die just for cosmetics every year around the world.” In your article you say “would you choose the hamsters or the kids?” … would you chose the hamsters or long eyelashes? I think that you should have addressed this in your blog.
Jaden
I generally enjoyed this informing post. However, I am VERY against animal testing granteed the animals are safe or not. Us as humans are selfish for believing animals are okay with this. I do agree the people doing these test on animals love them and care for them. But obviously they don’t have respect for then because their doing this. We may not be hurting these animals on purpose but to cross our fingers in hope that it doesn’t kill them, that’s sick. I know I would not appreciate having no say what happens to me. In our society that’s called taking advantage of, and I think it’s the same for them. We are smart humans aren’t we? I mean we’ve created technology that is almost smarter than we are. So let’s show it off. We can find another way to test “our products.”
StudentBlogger
But animals are not the same as humans. Period. You say they ‘have no say’ and you’re right. They don’t. But also, they don’t have the mental capacity to protest either. They are simply not as intelligent and are not and never will be the same. As mentioned in the article, the researchers and veterinarians are doing their best to make sure that the animal is safe and experiences no pain–and this is one way animals can benefit society. Would you choose the hamsters or the children?
Kaytlin
Yes, animals have helped us. But when have we stopped to help them, the simple answer is we don’t. We don’t help them when eating our favorite hamburger, we don’t help them when cutting down their forests to build your homes, or when we stick needles into their flesh filled with disease hoping that we can advance. A quote from Dr. Ronald W. Davis, a professor at Stanford states, “[Researchers] are so ingrained in trying to cure mice that they forget we are trying to cure humans.” Researchers have already found a cure for cancer within mice, but this cure does not work on humans because the simple fact that mice are mice and people are people. You just seem quite insensitive about your topic quoting yourself “but you know, poor cow”. I can clearly see you place human lives higher than animal lives, but a life is a life if I have anything to say about it. Did you know that if all humans were extinct today the rest of the world would become stronger and begin to heal the wounds we created. But if ants something so small, were extinct today life as we know it would end. So comparing hamsters to children is irrelevant, just because we have been taught since the beginning that our lives are more important than another’s.
Student
Yeah, we do place human lives above animal lives. Look, I love animals, and losing my pet was one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to deal with, but if we have the ability to save humans and cure deadly diseases, I’d like us to use that to our advantage. The way you see it is very black and white, but really animal testing a grey area. If you really believe the lives of a few cows are more important than 90% of the Native American population, then that’s your own thinking. But in my opinion, we could’ve had a much better society if we had discovered those cures a little earlier. There are more ways to “heal the wounds we created.” There are plenty of organizations supporting the rebuilding of our earth and conservation of our forests. I do see your points, but there are better ways to go about this.
TriggerWarning
If you were selected for testing out the next cure for cancer, but in order to test it you had to be made to have cancer by scientists like many animals are, would you feel as though you should go ahead with it? Or what if the option to test on a perfectly harmless, domesticated animal such as a hamster were to arise. Would you let the hamster be the “guinea pig” or do you place your life above it? According to your argument, you and that hamster are on the same playing field so choose wisely.
StudentBlogger
If I’m being honest, I didn’t enjoy this. Some of the points mentioned are ignorant and offensive, and the blog mentions really nothing about the other side of it. Overall, this blog was pretty upsetting for me, but thank you for sharing your viewpoint with us anyways.
Bart
This was actually a pretty good post. However, if I could choose between hamsters and children, why not choose someone who is already locked up anyway, such as criminals in jail? There are alternatives I see to animal testing. ” Using people just is not right. You might think that is hypocritical, but what is the difference from people eating meat or hunting. You don’t see people protesting that.” There are a bunch of different groups who protest the eating of meat and hunting. You assume all vegans are going to shove their veganism into your face, however that could not be more wrong. My sister is vegetarian and I think she even forgets sometimes. The points you use just seem a little hypocritical.
StudentBlogger
Using criminals in jail is morally–and legally wrong. Remember the Holocaust? Hitler allowed many scientists to perform gross and disgusting surgeries and operations on JEWS, DISABLED PEOPLE, and basically anyone else in an internment camp. Looking back, we see that as horrible and wrong–because IT IS. This is why animal testing is crucial and necessary–because we a) don’t want to repeat history and b) if something went wrong, then we know that it cannot and should not be performed on humans.