“If we look at the number of laboratory animals used and other animals arising from such research, then we can see that the benefits out weight the cost.” (SIMR). Animal testing is used to find cures for all types of cancer, childhood illnesses, diabetes, hereditary diseases, and degenerative disorders. Most of us take for granted many of the new treatments and cures, like antibiotics and blood transfusions. They would not have been made possible without the research and testing on animals. Some people ask, “Why conduct experiments on animals when they are so different from us?” On the contrary, we share striking similarities with mice, dogs, and chimpanzees. Humans and mice share the same immune system. Dogs and humans share the same cardiovascular system. “98.5% of our genes are essentially the same as those found in chimpanzees.” (Biomedical). The information gained from these animal experiments help scientist design human trials.
Doctors and scientist know that it is a privilege to use animals in research. The use of the animals is helping unlock the mysteries of diseases that plague us everyday. Scientists know that a well-treated, healthy, and protected from undue stress animal provides better results than that of an animal that is mistreated. Animal testing is done in a controlled environment only. There are federal guidelines that prohibit the abuse or the use of sick, injured, or distressed animal as research subjects. Anti-animal testing groups say that animals are tested without any anesthetics. This happens when the experiments involve mild or momentary distress. For example, giving a single injection, taking a blood sample, or a change of diet. If an experiment might cause an animal pain, then aesthetics and/or painkillers are given to the animal. Similar studies are done on both humans and animals both involving little or no pain. Animals that did not have any tissue removed may take part in additional experiments. But federal regulations do not allow an animal to take part in more than one major surgical procedure. Painkillers and antibiotics are similar to those used to treat humans. A majority of animals must be euthanized, because it is the only way to obtain tissue. Euthanasia is the act of inducing a humane death. Animals that have been used in experiments cannot be released into the wild or used as pets because they may be a hazard to humans or other animals.
There are many laws and regulations that make sure that the animals are being treated in a humane way. The federal government over the past thirty years has heavily regulated animal use. NIH was the first to publish a guide entitled “Laboratory Animals Facilities and Care”. There are organizations, like the Home Office Inspectors (HOI), who must approve all animal experiments. The HOI is made up of doctors and veterinarians who insist that any distress caused to the animals be kept to a minimum. In the 1980 Animal (Scientific Procedures) Act, it states that only properly licensed breeders can provide animals for research. These breeders are subject to the Home Office inspection. Another organization that conducts unannounced inspections is the USDA. They inspected both the dealers and the research facilities. These inspections are done to ensure that the research animals are not being misused.
Anti-animal testing groups make it seem like lab animals are stolen pets or that they have been captured from the wild. There are state laws that prohibit the uses of animals from the pound and animals that are from an animal shelter. There are animal dealers that are the primary source of the animals used for testing. The USDA must license lab animal dealers. There is some need for cats and dogs but most of the lab animals are rodents that have been specifically bred for the uses of medical research. Using unwanted pets is illegal in the United States. If a scientist were to use random animals from the wild, it would make the test results less reliable.
Today everything is done by computers, so why not animal testing? There are scientists that do not like to use animals for testing or research. There is funding for the uses of alternative research methods. Some of these methods include test-tube and cell culture experiments in addition to computer simulations. These methods are used along with animal testing and research. Computers can be very helpful in doing the math needed. But computers cannot work or think on their own. They can only work with what has been put in them - what you already know. A different approach might be that the scientist would use mice instead of rabbits for their research.
Throughout the 20th century every major medical advancement was accomplished with research and testing on animals. Looking at the total work that biomedical researchers do, only 10% of the time are they using animals.
