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Is using animals in medical research necessary? Some people would say yes, others would say no... but who's right? No matter what one thinks or believes this question still remains yet to be answered. At first this question seems like its answer lies within ones opinion and only that, but if you look closer there is a lot more to it than opinion. Feeling sorry for the animals is definitely where it starts for people who don't agree with animal testing; but that's not where it ends.
I feel we should test on animals for the purpose of medical research. According to Carl Cohen, there is no other method available now or perhaps in the future that can fully replace the testing of drugs, procedures, or vaccines in living organisms. (Cohen) The anatomy and physiology are basically the same for humans and animals, especially mammals. (OSERA)
In the United States, federal regulations require the testing of all new drugs and other products on animals, for efficacy and safety, before human beings are exposed. (Regulations)
I do feel it is cruel to test on animals for cosmetic and household product purposes though. Sixty percent of a sample of 1,000 Americans opposes the use of animals for cosmetic testing. (Stephens) More and more cosmetic companies see this and now offer “cruelty free” products.
Let us take a brief look at the history of animal testing.
The earliest references to animal testing can be found in the writing of the Greeks in the second and fourth centuries BCE. Among the first to experiment on living animals were Aristotle and Erasistratus. The “father of vivisection” is Galen, who dissected pigs and goats. (Greek CR)
Ivan Pavlov used dogs to describe classical conditioning. Is that considered cruelty? Insulin was first isolated from dogs and has helped with the treatment of diabetes.
Scientists and medical researchers say that animal testing is the future to finding cures for diseases. They do not like...