According to Dictionary.com the definition of animal testing is “the use of nonhuman animals in research and development projects, especially for purposes of determining the safety of substances such as foods or drugs” (“Animal Testing”). What this definition fails to mention, is how in the process of being used as test subjects, these millions of animal’s lives are being spent locked into tiny cages. Most of these animals will never get the chance to see the sun, yet alone experience being able to live in their natural habitat. Instead, their tiny feet will only feel the cold, hard tile floor of the dark labs they are imprisoned in. To make matters worse, their short lives consist of being poked, prodded, and stabbed until their tiny bodies can take no more and give out. Animal testing should be eradicated in the United states. The U.S wastes millions of tax payer’s dollars every year on inconclusive results. Alternatives to animal testing such as testing on human tissue, advanced computer modeling techniques and studies on human volunteers would be more effective, financially efficient and moral than animal testing. 

What gives humans the right and power to experiment on animals? Over the course of history humans have evolved with time, and slowly but surely have become more ethical. In a country where slavery is now unacceptable, homosexuals are more accepted in society, and women continue gaining more and more rights, why has there been nothing done regarding animal rights, specifically on animal experimentation? Animals obviously have no way to stand up for themselves, so it is up to us, as the people up America, to be their voice. I think some people may believe they are doing a helpful thing in accordance to animal testing, but in reality the outcome might be doing more damage than it is actually helping. With society constantly progressing to become more “morally advanced”, it is time to ask ourselves if putting animals through constant torment is worth an outcome that may or may not even be useful. 

Despite what corporations might want you to think, animal testing is an extremely vicious practice. “Animals used for testing are often deprived of food, water and sleep” (Nakate). At the end of the day, the most important reason why animal testing should be banned is for the animal’s well being. This year alone, over 100,000,000 animals will be experimented on. We do not deny humans their basic rights, so why should we let people deny animals theirs? It is simply unethical to take advantage of defenseless animals. Instead, we should be doing everything in our power to protect them.

Not only are animals being experimented on, but the things that they endure are atrocious. Experiments range from locking dogs in gas chambers, to forcing primates to inhale smoke for hours until they simply pass out or worse: die. One of the worst parts of these experiments, are that most of the animals feel everything that is happening to them. While animals are suffering through these trials they are usually wide awake, without any pain medication or anesthesia. “A callous attitude towards the safety of animals is one of the main reasons for not using anesthesia when experimenting on animals” (Nakate). Companies claim anesthesia can alter test results, but could you imagine being operated on wide awake without any form of pain medication? The way these animals are being used is simply unacceptable. 

Something truly terrifying, is that these animals are put through so much suffering, only for most of the results of the most experiments to likely to be inaccurate. “According to the National Institute of Health (NIH), most of the vaccines (HIV/AIDS) which passed the animal tests, actually failed in trials that were conducted on human beings” (Nakate). Multiple studies have shown that humans and animals do no react the same to medication and substances.  Animal testing might be more understandable if huge breakthroughs were being made left and right, but that is simply not the case. Instead, most of the information learned can not even be used. Even the U.S. National Institutes of Health Director Dr. Elias Zerhouni admitted that “experimenting on animals to help humans has been a major failure”. 

The fact of the matter is; animal testing is simply unnecessary, because as stated previously, products tend to react differently for humans and animals. “Most experiments are conducted on animals which cannot be a reliable source for predicting results on human beings” (Nakate).  For example, aspirin is used to help reduce fever and pain for humans, but if mice were to take it, it would kill them. The drug thalidomide was proven to be safe on animals, but ended up causing the deformities of 10,000 babies. Another drug, Vioxx displayed to be proficient on mice, but resulted in 27,000 heart attacks before being discontinued.  Testing on animals regularly fails to produce accurate information for humans, which then leads to deaths and sickness. This is just more concrete evidence as to why animals are not a good candidate to learn how a drug or product might effect humans. 

Not only is animal testing unnecessary, it is extremely costly to run, and guess who is paying for it? You are, and I am too. A portion of the American people’s tax payer money is going towards the cost, which is just another reason why we need to work harder on making animal experimentation illegal in the USA. “John McCain, a politician from USA has deemed the practice of animal testing as ethically, scientifically and financially unsound. Animal testing statistics reveal that thousands of dollars are spent every year on animal testing and the activities cost the lives of millions of animals” (Nakate). Why should citizens pay thousands of dollars resulting in inaccurate results and millions of animals lives? It is simply absurd that this much money is being wasted on such a horrific practice. “According to Lexington Herald-Leader, a reputed media network, millions of tax-payer dollars are wasted on drug tests involving animals and they are pointless” (Nakate). In summary, the government is spending enormous amounts of tax payer’s money on a waste of time, energy, and animal’s lives.

In order to make a difference we must understand who, in society, approves of animal testing and who does not. “In a 2008 study, 185 British and 143 American undergraduates completed a battery of tests that measured attitudes toward animal testing and various individual difference variables” (Swami). The results stated that under the proper conditions people were accepting of animal testing, however they were extremely worried for the animal’s welfare. The outcome showed the major difference in results was due to the gender of the person asked. Women who were recorded tended to be more opposed to animal testing than men are. Scientists believe this may be because women are naturally more gentle beings than men. Their upbringing and instincts allow a different view on topics such as this. “After countless more studies, research conducted shows that more women over men, vegetarians over non vegetarians, animal lovers, and less religious people were more opposed to animal testing” (Swami.) This information is important because it allows us to differentiate between what types of people care and who in society needs to be more educated on the subject. This information provides the opportunity for advertisers and people for the movement of eradicating animal testing to develop a target audience for their message. 

Society should care about this topic, because before I did my research, I was unaware of all the horrific experiments going on. Before people can truly care about an issue, they have to be educated and made aware of a situation before they can get on board about making a change. That is why I am so passionate about making this serious issue more well known.  A copious amount of women and men are using main brand cosmetic products without knowing that these large corporations test on animals. Two massive cosmetics corporations many people are unaware of that test on animals are L’Oréal and Estee Lauder. This is upsetting, because people are purchasing many of these products unknowingly. To avoid making this mistake, it is extremely important while shopping to always look for products that display the leaping bunny logo. 

What is the Leaping Bunny Logo, and why is it so important to look for it when buying products? “The Leaping Bunny Logo is the only internationally recognized symbol guaranteeing consumers that no new animal tests were used in the development of any product displaying it” (Leaping Bunny Program.) The logo is present throughout the world, as it can be seen on cosmetic websites, advertisements, and on household products.  This logo is paramount, because it has been proven that American consumers desire it. “More than 65% of people surveyed indicated they are more trusting of independent third-party seals of approval and logos when it comes to finding accurate cruelty-free claims” (Leaping Bunny Program). When shopping, it is important to take a short amount of time to look for products that display this logo. There are many companies that do not test on animals, and with this logo it is easy to spot and support them, instead of giving your money to corporations that still test on animals.

Although animal testing is horrific, I do realize that some good components come out of it. For example, “71 of the Nobel Prizes for Medicine won in the last 103 years were awarded to scientists used animals in their research” (Pro-test). Without studying animals there would not have been major breaks in medicine involving human and veterinary research. “From antibiotics to blood transfusions, from dialysis to organ transplantation, from vaccinations to chemotherapy, bypass surgery and joint replacement, practically every present-day protocol for the prevention, treatment, cure and control of disease, pain and suffering is based on knowledge attained through research with lab animals” (pro-test). With all of the conducted research on animals, we have gained certain treatments that have led animals and humans to live healthier, longer lives. With all of that being said, we are in a day in age where there are just as effective alternatives to use in place of using animals.

Instead of continuing a horrible cycle, scientists have began creating new alternatives to compensate for animal testing. Today’s scientists have advanced on and are now working on tests using human cells and tissues (vitro methods), advanced computer modeling techniques (Silico models), and studies on human volunteers.  Vitro methods consist of chips that are used to replicate the structure and function of human organs. These chips are then used in tests instead of animals. Another vitro method is MatTek’s EpiDerm Tissue model, which is a three dimensional, human cell derived skin model that can be used in place of testing on guinea pigs, mice, and rabbits. The next alternative (silico models) includes computer models that act to stimulate human biology and the progression of developing disease.  These models, unlike testing on animals, are proven to predict accurate as to how new drugs will affect the human body. Another alternative, is conducting research on human volunteers. Microdosing, advanced brain imaging, and recording techniques, are all methods used when experimenting on humans. These are just three safe and simply better possibilities to use in the place of animal experimentation. 

It is encouraging to know that certain companies are indeed starting to make a change. One large example is Lush Cosmetics, a company that sells bath bombs, soaps, and fragrances. “What Lush did on the 24th of April 2012, was to bring animal testing back into the public eye in the most dramatic way possible” (Lush Cosmetics).  Lush wanted to represent what occurs to animals when they are experimented on. To show this, they dragged a woman through the streets of London and propped her up in one of their store windows for stand-byers to watch. They then proceeded to pour drops in her eyes, inject her with substances, force feed her, and had her hair shaved off, which is exactly what happens to millions of animals every single day. Along with watching the performance, Lush had a cosmetic testing directive petition that the audience was encouraged to sign. The petition was to ensure the ban of all animal tested products in the EU. “The final part of the cosmetics testing directive banning the sale and marketing of all animal tested cosmetics in the EU was finally made law on the 11th of July 2013” (Lush Cosmetics). EU had a happy ending for animals, but the issue remains that many countries still do not, and we need to keep fighting until animal testing is banned everywhere. 

Now it is simply time for changes in America to be made. Looking around the world, some other countries are progressing just as we should be, and others are even further behind. “Countries like New Zealand and Netherlands have banned the use of great apes and other primates for the purpose of testing” (Nakate). Other countries, China for example, still require every cosmetic product to be tested on animals before being put up for sale. So where do we start on the track to end animal testing? Well, even beginning with small changes, like switching over to other alternatives, or creating a petition can make a huge difference. It is time to begin educating the younger generations on all the harms of animal testing, because before I started doing my research, I for one, was completely unaware. When people’s eyes are opened to the horrors that occur everyday in labs, I truly believe changes will start being made. Until then, it is up to us, the people of America, to do our best in putting an end to animal testing.

With all the fantastic changes being made in the United States of America, it is time to make banning animal testing a top priority. With the expensive cost, inaccurate results, and new alternative methods, there is just not a need to continue using animals as test subjects. In order to make a difference, changes must start being made. These changes can be as small as looking for the leaping bunny logo while shopping, to creating petitions to start banning products and companies that test on animals. Corporations that are not making money can not stay in business, therefore over time no one would continue to test on animals. Another way to make a difference is supporting alternative methods such as vitro technology, Silico methods, and testing on human volunteers. Encouraging these new methods will result in a decrease in the need for testing on animals. It is essential to stop wasting our money on experiments that result in flawed conclusions. This halt will allow us to begin to focus on finding new methods that have more accurate outcomes. As Americans and as human beings, we must show compassion for the animals that we share this planet with. The presence of empathy for earths creatures will profusely aid in the movement of banning animal testing in the United States permanently. 

 