Satvika Madadi

Mrs. Gardner
English 0
May 4, 2015

The Brutal Means of Animal Experimentation

Each year, more than 100 million animalsincluding mice, rats, frogs, dogs, cats,
rabbits, hamsters, guinea pigs, monkeys, fish, and birdsare killed in U.S. laboratories for
biology lessons, medical training, curiosity-driven experimentation, and chemical, drug, food,
and cosmetics testing(peta.org). Unfortunately, this is the grotesque result of animal
experimentation. Animal experimentation is the use of animals to determine if certain products
are human-friendly. It is understandable how one might think that this process is a better
alternative to testing on humans, for certain programs such as the food and drug administration
and the UDSD not only allows, but encourages animal experimentation, but what people dont
realize is, there are substitutes for animal experimentation. Animal experimentation impacts the
biological cycle of life, because, for the most part, there is less of a non-human, animal
population than there is a human population. This means that most animals have less of a
population than that of humans, so if animal testing is to continue, life on earth will eventually be
extinguished, for if the human population increases, the animal population will decrease
tremendously because millions of animals are being put to their death. This is why animal
experimentation should not be legalized: it is expensive, uncertain, and inhumane.

It could be argued that animal experimentation makes it so humans dont have to

experience the outcomes of untested products. It is understandable how one might insist that
animals are used for beneficial purposes, such as developing medical treatments, determining

the toxicity of certain medications, confirming the safety of a product designed for humans, and
other health care uses. Because of animal testing, many cures and treatments to a variety of
illnesses and diseases have been discovered that might have otherwise continued to plague
mankind over the years(peta.org). Therefore, one can claim that the benefits that animal testing
provides to humans, outranks the harm done to animals, and that the laws for animal testing are
currently perfect(Mounting Opposition to Vivisection). To summarize, human prosperity is
much more important than the life of abject animals. Although animal testing is beneficial to
humans, one should look at the risks brought by experimentation, for there are far more risks
than benefits.

Admittedly, animal experimentation brings certain potential benefits to the material world;
however when one comes to understand the potential risks for the animals, for the people, and
for the country as a whole, one will come to terms and oppose animal experimentation. One of
the many reasons that animal experimentation is inadequate, is the cost. According to daily
caller, 14.5 billion dollars of taxpayers money is contributed towards meaningless
experimentations such as using small dogs, and forcing them to run on treadmills until they
have heart attacks at schools like Wayne State University, and to study the effects of crystal
meth on monkeys at UCLA. Instead of wasting money on experimentations that might or might
not work, we can use this money in other beneficial ways. For example, $14.5 billion could
provide a lot of tax relief for Americans. It could help pay down national debt"(dailycaller). Also,
animals need maintenance (food, water, living space), which is what most of the taxpayers
money is directed towards. If there is this much cost for something that has such unclear
results, and a better, more effective method would have less of a cost, then why are we going
with the more expensive method?

Furthermore, research proves that animal experimentation is not 100 percent correct.
For example, the main animal used for experimentation is the rat, which has 92 percent similar
genomes to the human.(Animal Use in Research on the Rise Despite Government Data,
Study). Although this number is high, it will never perfectly show anyone of what the side
effects of products will do to humans. Fortunately, there is an alternative to this brutal method.
By suspending microfluidic channels of living human cells in clear polymer, the team is able to
create tiny biological systems no bigger than a computer memory stick. "The pharmaceutical
industry needs alternative ways to screen drug candidates in the laboratory," (sks.sirs).
This proves that even though there are alternatives, we are not using them. As a result, we are
putting ourselves in danger of being harmed by products.

Ultimately, animal experimentation shouldnt be legalized because it is inhumane.

Animals trapped in appalling working conditions are prone for death. We should be more
considerate of these innocent creatures instead of turning the other way because in order To
satisfy the requirements of the testing process, animals may be force-fed, deprived of food or
water for lengthy periods of time, or physically restrained against their will(blog.udemy). This is
unethical because animals have every right to live without being tortured, and they have every
right not to be murdered. This recurring theme of exploitation is seen throughout our history, with
slaves being held against their will as well as Hitler throwing Jews into concentration camps.
Animal experimentation is not much different, for it is simply the exploitation of something for the
benefit for a certain group of people. Before, we used slavery because slaves were different
than us and they were easily controlled; however, later, we realized that this was unethical
because we are all living creatures. Eventually, we will see that animal exploitation is inhumane
as well. As a result, we shouldnt be promoting animal experimentation because it harms
innocent animals and the human conscience.

In conclusion, animal experimentation, is pricey, distasteful, as well as uncertain. We

must come to realize that a social hierarchy is one of the main causes of the downfall of society
and we, as a society have been trying to repair this for so long. Animals have become like
untouchables in the Hindu caste system, and for us, as individuals, to make peace with the
world, must think of everything as equivalent to ourselves. Also, if animal experimentation is
expensive and has an unclear result, what is the point of experimenting and decreasing the
animal population even more, when there are better, logically appropriate options. So lets
make the world a better place for everybody, and reject the brutal means of animal
experimentation.

Work Cited
"Animal Experiments: Overview." PETA. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 May 2015.
"Animal Testing Cons: What Every Person Should Know." Udemy Blog. N.p., n.d. Web.
12 May 2015.
"Animal Use in Research on the Rise, Study Finds." The Daily Free Press. N.p., 03 Mar.
2015. Web. 12 May 2015.

Bastasch, Michael. "Feds Spend up to $14.5 Billion Annually on Animal Testing." The
Daily Caller. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 May 2015.
Goodman, Justin R, Casey A Borch, and Elizabeth Cherry. "Mounting Opposition to
Vivisection." Contexts. Spring 2012: p. 68. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 12 May 2015.