Ethics of Animal Testing

Our attitude to animals is the reason animal cruelty exists. By changing the way we think about them, we can improve their lives. If our view of animals is speciesists: ‘the assumption of human superiority leading to the exploitation of animals,' then we would put the interests of humans before those of other animals. In animal testing, that's most likely the case.

Experimentation is carried out on animals to assess the safety and effectiveness of everything from medication to cosmetics. It's required by law for a new medicine to go through animal testing before going into the market. However we do not feel the pain animals go through. No type of experiment is prohibited and pain-killers are not required. Even when alternatives available, the law does not require they be used. This can allow cruel experiments to be done on animals to receive the wanted results.

There are regulations that protect the wellbeing of the animals including: the Animal Welfare Act, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), and the Association for Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care International (AAALAC). But these regulations only protect the animal from suffering while it’s not being used in experiments. About 20 million animals are experimented on and are killed annually; an estimated eight million are used in painful experiments, all to serve our needs. Some may justify animal testing by claiming animals don’t feel like we do and have a lower mental capacity. However, should we not be prepared to also test products on infants, the mentally disabled, or those who suffer from an extreme case of Alzheimer's?

In September 2012, an international group of scientists signed The Cambridge Declaration on Consciousness, proclaiming their belief that animals are indeed conscious and capable of experiencing human emotions. Their research shows much of what we already know; every animal possess the ability to feel pain. So what makes it okay for us to use animals as test subjects for our needs? Others may claim that animal testing is required to drive medical science forward. If testing on animals gets us closer to finding a cure that may save millions, wont that be ethically okay? While testing on animals may help improve our chances of finding cures, it will have to be tested on humans to make sure the effects will be the same. If the tests on human trials show otherwise, the tests on animals would have been in vain.

The FDA reported that 92 out of every 100 drugs that successfully pass animal trials and go into human clinical testing fail during the human clinical trial phase. Since animal testing seems to not give the desirable results, alternative methods should be used. The fundamental differences between humans and other animals arise at the molecular level where drugs either kill or cured. Thanks to this understanding, many non-animal research methods are now being used.

There are many alternatives that are effective, reliable, affordable and humane; cruel animal testing is not the only way to arrive at the desirable results. If you think animal testing is ethically wrong you can make the pledge to boycott products that test on animals. As a consumer you have the power on choosing whether to buy a product that goes against your views or not. Be informed on what you are buying and do research on the companies you buy from. You can make the pledge to boycott products that test on animals.