Medical testing on animals
It's horrible, but we have to do it
The bottom line here is that we simply don't. Medical experiments performed on animals are not only unnecessary, they're also unscientific. Despite this fact, horrifically cruel tests continue to be performed on millions of animals each year thanks to the outdated laws that call for them, the huge amounts of money
being made by those involved, and to avoid accountability should a drug cause negative side effects in humans.
It only takes a little common sense to understand that testing on animals would not be helpful
when studying effects on humans (simply ask a vet why they didn't study mice when learning how to treat dogs) and many substances that are toxic to us are not toxic to animals and vice versa. The vast majority of animal tests render nothing of value and are simply thrown out, and none of the tiny handful of successful cases are useful to us until they're also tested on humans anyway. So why are we wasting our time using animals, especially when new technologies are now proving much more effective?
Below are some links to information on this often misunderstood topic. If you find you have a passionate reaction to claims that we shouldn't experiment on animals but have never actually read up on it, these articles are well worth your time.
- History of Animal Research Testing
- Medical research without animals
- Examples of animal based safety tests gone wrong
- Animal-free research
- The failure of the animal model
- Labs now using more animals than ever
- Animal testers attack Jane Goodall
being made by those involved, and to avoid accountability should a drug cause negative side effects in humans.
It only takes a little common sense to understand that testing on animals would not be helpful
when studying effects on humans (simply ask a vet why they didn't study mice when learning how to treat dogs) and many substances that are toxic to us are not toxic to animals and vice versa. The vast majority of animal tests render nothing of value and are simply thrown out, and none of the tiny handful of successful cases are useful to us until they're also tested on humans anyway. So why are we wasting our time using animals, especially when new technologies are now proving much more effective?
Below are some links to information on this often misunderstood topic. If you find you have a passionate reaction to claims that we shouldn't experiment on animals but have never actually read up on it, these articles are well worth your time.
- History of Animal Research Testing
- Medical research without animals
- Examples of animal based safety tests gone wrong
- Animal-free research
- The failure of the animal model
- Labs now using more animals than ever
- Animal testers attack Jane Goodall
|
|
There are also many organisations trying to address the use of animals in medical research and some helpful websites can be found below. There are often similar groups in any given city or region, so check on Google
to find any that are close to you.
- The National Anti-vivisection Society (uk)
- The American Anti-vivisection Society
- Stop Vivisection
- Humane Research Australia
- Doctors Against Animal Experiments
- The Center for Alternatives to Animal Testing (Johns Hopkins Uni.)
- Safer Medicines.org
- Americans for Medical Advancement
to find any that are close to you.
- The National Anti-vivisection Society (uk)
- The American Anti-vivisection Society
- Stop Vivisection
- Humane Research Australia
- Doctors Against Animal Experiments
- The Center for Alternatives to Animal Testing (Johns Hopkins Uni.)
- Safer Medicines.org
- Americans for Medical Advancement
|
|
Bite Size Vegan has a great four-part series on the topic of animal experimentation. Part one is pretty uncomfortable viewing, but if you agree these tests should continue then please watch to see exactly what it is you're condoning.
If you feel you simply can't bear seeing what happens in these tests you can still check out parts two, three and four, none of which contain anything graphic but carry lots of important information.
If you feel you simply can't bear seeing what happens in these tests you can still check out parts two, three and four, none of which contain anything graphic but carry lots of important information.
|
Part One: Does animal testing save lives? |
|
|
Part Two: Why we still test on animals |
|
|
Part Three: How animal testing harms humans |
|
|
Part Four: Alternatives to animal testing |
|
|
|
Finally, a few more videos below also cover the topic of animal testing.
|
The failure of animal experiments
|
Human organs on microchips
|
|
Investigator bonds with monkeys
|
Undercover footage of animal experiments
|
|
Testing on dogs
|
Modern animal experiments
|
"Ask the scientists who test on animals why they do it and their answer is:
'Because the animals are like us.' Ask the experimenters why it is morally
acceptable to experiment on animals, and their answer is: 'Because the animals
are not like us.' Animal experimentation rests on a logical contradiction."
Prof. Charles R. Magel
'Because the animals are like us.' Ask the experimenters why it is morally
acceptable to experiment on animals, and their answer is: 'Because the animals
are not like us.' Animal experimentation rests on a logical contradiction."
Prof. Charles R. Magel
