Pro and Con: Animal Testing
An estimated 26 million animals are used every year in the United States for scientific and
commercial testing. Animals are used to develop medical treatments, determine the toxicity of
medications, check the safety of products destined for human use, and other biomedical,
commercial, and health care uses. Research on living animals has been practiced since at least
500 BC.
Animal testing in the United States is regulated by the federal Animal Welfare Act (AWA),
passed in 1966 and amended in 1970, 1976, and [Link] AWA defines “animal” as “any live
or dead dog, cat, monkey (nonhuman primate mammal), guinea pig, hamster, rabbit, or such
other warm blooded animal.” The AWA excludes birds, rats and mice bred for research, cold-
blooded animals, and farm animals used for food and other purposes.
A public outcry over animal testing and the treatment of animals in general broke out in the
United States in the mid-1960s, leading to the passage of the AWA. An article in the November
29, 1965 issue of Sports Illustrated about Pepper, a farmer’s pet Dalmation that was kidnapped
and sold into experimentation, is believed to have been the initial catalyst for the rise in anti-
testing sentiment. Pepper died after researchers attempted to implant an experimental cardiac
pacemaker in her body.
The COVID-19 (coronavirus) global pandemic brought attention to the debate about animal
testing as researchers sought to develop a vaccine for the virus as quickly as possible. Vaccines
are traditionally tested on animals to ensure their safety and effectiveness. News broke in Mar.
2020 that there was a shortage of the genetically modified mice that were needed to test
coronavirus vaccines.
Meanwhile, other companies tried new development techniques that allowed them to skip
animal testing and start with human trials. Moderna Therapeutics used a synthetic copy of the
virus genetic code instead of a weakened form of the virus. The FDA approved an application
for Moderna to begin clinical trials on a coronavirus vaccine on Mar. 4, 2020, and the first
participant was dosed on Mar. 16, 2020.
PRO
• Animal testing contributes to life-saving cures and treatments.
• Animal testing is crucial to ensure that vaccines are safe.
• There is no adequate alternative to testing on a living, whole-body system.
• Animals are appropriate research subjects because they are similar to human beings in many ways.
• Animals must be used in cases when ethical considerations prevent the use of human subjects.
• Animals themselves benefit from the results of animal testing.
• Animal research is highly regulated, with laws in place to protect animals from mistreatment.
• Animals often make better research subjects than human beings because of their shorter life cycles.
• Animal researchers treat animals humanely, both for the animals’ sake and to ensure reliable test
results.
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• Animals do not have rights; therefore, it is acceptable to experiment on them.
• The vast majority of biologists and several of the largest biomedical and health organizations in the
United States endorse animal testing.
• Some cosmetics and health care products must be tested on animals to ensure their safety.
CON
• Animal testing is cruel and inhumane.
• Scientists are able to test vaccines on humans volunteers.
• Alternative testing methods now exist that can replace the need for animals.
• Animals are very different from human beings and therefore make poor test subjects.
• Drugs that pass animal tests are not necessarily safe.
• Animal tests may mislead researchers into ignoring potential cures and treatments.
• Only 5% of animals used in experiments are protected by US law.
• Animal tests do not reliably predict results in human beings.
• There is increasing demand for cruelty-free products.
• Most experiments involving animals are flawed, wasting the lives of the animal subjects.
• The Animal Welfare Act has not succeeded in preventing horrific cases of animal abuse in
research laboratories.
• Medical breakthroughs involving animal research may still have been made without the use
of animals.
This article was published on March 18, 2020, at Britannica’s [Link], a nonpartisan issue-
information source.
[Link]
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Using Animals for Testing: Pros Versus Cons
There are many pros and cons to the practice of animal testing. Unfortunately, neither seem to fully tip
the scale to a side that pleases everyone – including the general public, government and scientists.
Pros or Positives of Animal Testing
1. Helps researchers to find drugs and treatments:
The major pro for animal testing is that it aids researchers in finding drugs and treatments to
improve health and medicine. Many medical treatments have been made possible by animal
testing, including cancer and HIV drugs, insulin, antibiotics, vaccines and many more.
2. Improves human health:
It is for this reason that animal testing is considered vital for improving human health and it is
also why the scientific community and many members of the public support its use. In fact,
there are also individuals who are against animal testing for cosmetics but still support animal
testing for medicine and the development of new drugs for disease.
3. Helps ensure safety of drugs:
Another important aspect to note is that animal testing helps to ensure the safety of drugs and
many other substances humans use or are exposed to regularly. Drugs in particular can carry
significant dangers with their use but animal testing allows researchers to initially gauge the
safety of drugs prior to commencing trials on humans. This means that human harm is
reduced and human lives are saved – not simply from avoidance of the dangers of drugs but
because the drugs themselves save lives as well as improve the quality of human life.
4. Alternative methods of testing do not simulate humans in the same way
Scientists typically use animals for testing purposes because they are considered similar to
humans. As such, researchers do recognise the limitations and differences but the testing is
done on animals because they are thought to be the closest match and best one with regards
to applying this data to humans.
Cons or Negatives of Animal Testing
1. Animals are killed or kept in captivity:
In animal testing, countless animals are experimented on and then killed after their use.
Others are injured and will still live the remainder of their lives in captivity.
2. Some substances tested, may never be used for anything useful:
The unfortunate aspect is that many of these animals received tests for substances that will
never actually see approval or public consumption and use. It is this aspect of animal testing
that many view as a major negative against the practice, as it seems that the animal died in
vain because no direct benefit to humans occurred.
3. It is very expensive:
Another con on the issue of animal testing is the price. Animal testing generally costs an
enormous amount of money, as the animals must be fed, housed, cared for and treated with
drugs or a similar experimental substance. On top of that, animal testing may occur more than
once and over the course of months, which means that additional costs are incurred. The
price of animals themselves must also be factored into the equation. There are companies
who breed animals specifically for testing and animals can be purchased through them.
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4. Animals and humans are never exactly the same:
There is also the argument that the reaction of a drug in an animal's body is quite different
from the reaction in a human. The main criticism here is that some believe animal testing is
unreliable. Following on that criticism is the premise that because animals are in an unnatural
environment, they will be under stress. Therefore, they won't react to the drugs in the same
way compared to their potential reaction in a natural environment. This argument further
weakens the validity of animal experimentation.
Personal Choice
While there are numerous pros and cons of animal testing, the ethical aspect overshadows
both of them, which means that emotion may be the ultimate determining factor in whether a
person believes the benefits of animal testing outweigh the problems associated with the
practice.
[Link]
Controversy of Animal Testing
Animal testing is a deeply divided subject, with a great deal of passion, emotion and ideas on
both sides regarding the ethics of this practice. There is also a grey area as well, where some
individuals support animal testing only under special circumstances while they oppose its use
for other areas.
Support for Animal Testing
Generally, the scientific community is strongly in favour of animal testing. They see humans are
superior to animal life and this belief thus justifies the use of animals in testing. While animal
suffering should be minimized, they also cite that it is preferable for an animal to suffer as
opposed to a human. The medical breakthroughs that have occurred as a result of animal
testing are also considered reason enough to continue the practice, with the aim of reducing
human suffering and saving human lives. Ultimately, supporters believe that the end result of
saved lives justifies the means of using animal testing.
Support is also geared at protecting humans, not simply producing new life-saving drugs -
although this is seen as a priority. Military defense involves animal testing to simulate battle
wounds and gauge reactions to exposures of agents used in war. Animal testing is an important
part of preventing a widespread disaster if chemical agents are released by another country.
As a result of the controversy with animal testing, however, more media attention has occurred
in terms of animal care in animal testing facilities. Regulations and laws in Britain are some of
the strictest in the world and the transparency that exists is a positive step for both animal
testing supporters and those who are against it.
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Ethical Issues with Animal Testing
One key argument against animal testing involves the inability of animals to consent to the
tests. Humans, it is argued, can make an informed decision to consent while animals have tests
forced upon them, with no choice.
A major ethical issue with animal testing is that it involves pain, suffering and discomfort under
some circumstances. While researchers do address the potential for pain by measures to
minimize it whenever possible, they aren't able to completely prevent any pain from occurring.
Where possible, they will use anaesthetic but for some types of testing, using a pain reliever
can mean an interaction with the drug being tested. For this reason, animals must experience
the effects of the one drug and if it involves pain, this presents an unfortunate conundrum for
researchers.
Another qualm with animal testing is its use for cosmetics testing. While Britain has banned
animal testing on cosmetics and Europe is poised for a ban by 2009, other countries still use
animals for cosmetics testing. Those who oppose the practice believe it is outrageous and cruel
to use animal life simply so humans can 'look better.' The aesthetic component is a major issue
and some individuals support animal testing for medical purposes but not for cosmetics.
Isolated cases of abuse have also added more fuel to the case against animal testing although
reaction from the scientific community was similarly swift and indicated that such abuses will
not be tolerated.
Making a Decision
Despite having a look at both sides involved in the controversy of animal testing, there is still
no clear right or wrong that seems to appease everyone. One thing, however, appears to be
unanimous - that at the very least, Animal Suffering should be minimized and that animals
should be respected during their care. If animal testing is to continue - and at present it is
ongoing - animals must not be abused.
[Link]
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Biomedical Research and Animal Testing
Biomedical research is one of the most important areas of animal testing and rightly so, given
that it is focused on improving human health and medicine. There are different types of
biomedical research, which includes basic research and applied research. Basic research is
important because it involves the study of how organisms function and develop. The learning
associated with basic research is intricately linked to applied, or practical research although it
is more academic in nature. Still, applied research is the type of biomedical research that is
more actively relevant to medical advances. Therefore, the focus will be to look at how applied
biomedical research occurs in terms of animal testing and how it relates to human health.
Solving Problems
Applied biomedical research is focused on obtaining answers to detailed problems that are
faced in medicine and health. This kind of research is largely performed in the pharmaceutical
industry or contracted out through universities. Drugs may be developed through animal testing
to treat human or veterinary health conditions.
Genetic Disorders
An important area of biomedical research is genetics, where the use of animal testing helps
researchers to study numerous diseases. Animals will have a certain gene changed, added or
removed to artificially create a specific disorder. This allows researchers to manipulate other
variables or develop potential drugs to treat the condition. Another important area within
genetics is diabetes. Researchers will use animal testing to obtain clues to how the disease
develops in the body. The genetic aspect of diabetes is a vital one because any clues could
impact huge numbers of sufferers with the condition. Yet another crucial area within genetics
is cancer, where scientists are looking at mice that carry some of the same mutations that
humans carry - all linked to the development of cancer.
Investigating Animal Models for Biomedical Research
Animal-models are important and unfortunately, can't be substituted with non-animal models such as
cell cultures because researchers need to examine the entire organism. By analysing animal models,
scientists can learn what causes disease as well as how it develops and what aspects of genetics, the
environment or diet contribute to the development of disease. For biomedical research in the area of
genetics, many different types of animals are used, but mice are a common animal model. Other ones
used include rats, pigs and sheep. Less frequently, birds and fish are used.
Common Ground: Humans and Animals
There are many diseases that occur in both animals and humans. Some of the lifestyle factors that
predispose an animal to disease are the same ones that predispose humans to the disease. For example,
overweight cats are thought to be more likely to develop Type 2 diabetes. The same is true for humans
who are overweight; they too are predisposed to developing Type 2 diabetes. Similar to humans, some
dog breeds have narcolepsy, which means that dogs are an important model for studying the condition.
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Drug Testing for Biomedical Research
Drug testing is another area of biomedical research that utilises animal testing. How drugs are
metabolised - including their absorption, how they affect other body systems and how they are excreted
- is vital to ensuring the safety of medications. Toxicology testing is also related to biomedical
research. When drugs are being developed, their safety and efficacy needs to be ensured. They also
need to be examined for the potential to cause tumour growth or negatively affect reproductive
functioning.
Benefits of Biomedical Research
Some of the most important drugs and treatments that we use today are based on animal testing.
Insulin, vaccines, antibiotics and numerous cancer and HIV treatments were developed through the use
of animals in research.
Public Approval
The public overwhelmingly supports biomedical research in the United Kingdom (UK) with recent
surveys citing more than three quarters of the general public in support of this type of testing.
Conversely, most of the public does not support cosmetics testing on animals. In terms of human health
and medicine, however, the public is in favour of animal models. The belief is that animal use must be
regulated and suffering minimised but that their use is justified in terms of improving health outcomes
for humans. Still, animal welfare groups argue that non-animal models should be used instead. While
these non-animal models do provide success in some cases, they are simply not equivalent to a whole
organism and thus, are not widely accepted as a substitute that is effective for all experimentation.
The future does look bright with regards to biomedical advances. It is hoped that animal testing
continues to be strictly observed and regulated, such that biomedical research can yield new treatments
and offer hope to those who suffer from debilitating diseases.
[Link]
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