Humane Use Of Animals In Medical Research example essay topic

Animal Testing for Humanity Animal research is vital to human existence. This testing enables doctors to find treatments and cures for various diseases and aliments. The people, who object and think that "mad" scientists preform all animal research, merely do not understand the importance. There are many regulatory acts protecting the animals in experiments, therefore proving that ending animal research all together would be a harsh blow to society. The regulations, such as the Animal Welfare Act, which ensures that animal, care for research is a main priority. The AWA requires appropriate veterinary care, housing, feeding, handling, sanitation, ventilation, and sheltering.

Also, in that act the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is required to make at least one unannounced inspection a year to each facility. Another regulatory requirement is that the United States Department of Agriculture requires institutions to report the number of animals used in research and the number of animals that experience pain or distress. In a 1996 report to Congress, the USDA showed that eighty-nine percent of experiments reported did not involve pain or distress. Animal research has proven to be a very controversial issue to many.

Many myths surround it. Activists say that doctors to torture the animals, which is not true. These myths have been created by animal rights groups who want to fill other's minds with distorted images of experiments. One particular myth is that animal research is primarily used in make-up testing. Although, testing a product for safety is important, the majority of animal research is done in biomedical research. This means scientists are using these animals to find cures and treatments.

Animal rights groups are also saying that pets are routinely stolen and end up in research facilities, which also proves to be untrue. Forty percent of dogs and cats involved in research are bred for this purpose, while the rest are purchased from highly-regulated Class B animal dealers or pounds, where otherwise these animals would be put to death. The USDA also mandated a holding period of ten to fifteen days, which provides ample time for owners to locate their lost pets, or for the unwanted animals to find homes. Life without animal research would be a disaster.

According to the Americans for Medical Progress Educational Foundation, without animal research, insulin-dependent diabetics would be dead. Polio would kill or cripple thousands of un vaccinated adults. This year 7,500 newborns that contract jaundice each year would develop cerebral palsy, which is now preventable through phototherapy. Finally, millions of dogs, cats, and other pets and farm animals would have died from anthrax, distemper, canine, feline leukemia, rabies and more than 200 other diseases, which were made preventable through animal research. Animals in research benefit humans and their fellow animals. The research has developed gene therapy, bone marrow transplantation, vaccines and antibiotics, and many more advances for humans.

This research has also prevented heartworm, the use of vito in fertilization procedures, and immunizations for animals. This testing has improved the quality of life for animals and humans. I strongly support the humane use of animals in medical research. Most doctors, veterinarians, technicians, and animal care workers agree with using responsible care methods for experiments on animals.

This research has increased our lifespan by nearly twenty-eight years, and we need to preserve this humane experimentation.