Real Benefits: Animal Testing Through much research it can be shown that animal testing is not entirely all bad. Testing on animals has gotten an awful reputation for its involvement in the cosmetic world. It has gotten so bad that several countries have banned products tested on animal and several cosmetic companies have eradicated the use of animal testing all together because of consumer pressure. However, there is medical animal testing which is in the shadows of cosmetic testing. It is not as commonly talked about, but its benefits are much more substantial to the human and animal world in terms of health care. The lack of information delivered to the public on animal testing has led to a number of protests and the vandalizing of laboratories.
…show more content…
And what are the animals that need protecting from testing? The typical animals used in animal testing under the Animal Welfare Act (AWA), according to the USDA’s fiscal annual year report on animal usage are: cats, dogs, guinea pigs, hamsters, rabbits, nonhuman primates, pigs, and sheep (“Annual Report Animal Usage by Fiscal Year”). There are a few other species covered under the act, but there are also many that are not. Some of the species that are not covered by the Animal Welfare Act include rats, mice, birds, fish, and a few other cold blooded species. The Human Society International states that most these species not included in the AWA are the ones most commonly being tested on (¶3). Many of these rats and mice species are selectively bred for various reasons, so they are already altered compared to your average household pet. They are being “specifically bred” for a certain trait or aspect, for example a weak immune system that an average mouse at your local pet store will not obtain (Birke 208-209). This allows for more standardized results in the laboratory. The Animal Welfare Act’s mission statement is that it “insures animals intended for use in research facilities or for exhibition purposes or for use as pets are provided humane care and treatment” (USDA: Animal Welfare Act 1). This act became a law in 1966 (“Animal Welfare Act” ¶4). Since the creation of the law it can only be assumed …show more content…
An example would be the “UCLA studies utilizing mice were the basis for human clinical trials in patients with metastatic breast cancer. This led to the breakthrough breast cancer medication Herceptin, the first cancer-fighting drug … Mouse models of human cancers such as prostate, pancreatic and lung cancer are widely utilized to test innovative cancer-fighting agents.” (Office of Media Relations ¶2) without these studies there could have possible never been a breakthrough in cancer fighting drugs. These mice used were the first to help generate the first drug to fight cancer. These mice made history of their own. All the patients’ lives that have been saved since the release of this drug are going to be forever grateful for the mice that allowed for this to happen. We often take for granted the things we do not notice that have been provided to use just because we still continue to test our medical advances on animals. Everything from the allergy pills we take to the asthma medications that save lives of CDC claims as nearly twenty-five million asthma
And what are the animals that need protecting from testing? The typical animals used in animal testing under the Animal Welfare Act (AWA), according to the USDA’s fiscal annual year report on animal usage are: cats, dogs, guinea pigs, hamsters, rabbits, nonhuman primates, pigs, and sheep (“Annual Report Animal Usage by Fiscal Year”). There are a few other species covered under the act, but there are also many that are not. Some of the species that are not covered by the Animal Welfare Act include rats, mice, birds, fish, and a few other cold blooded species. The Human Society International states that most these species not included in the AWA are the ones most commonly being tested on (¶3). Many of these rats and mice species are selectively bred for various reasons, so they are already altered compared to your average household pet. They are being “specifically bred” for a certain trait or aspect, for example a weak immune system that an average mouse at your local pet store will not obtain (Birke 208-209). This allows for more standardized results in the laboratory. The Animal Welfare Act’s mission statement is that it “insures animals intended for use in research facilities or for exhibition purposes or for use as pets are provided humane care and treatment” (USDA: Animal Welfare Act 1). This act became a law in 1966 (“Animal Welfare Act” ¶4). Since the creation of the law it can only be assumed …show more content…
An example would be the “UCLA studies utilizing mice were the basis for human clinical trials in patients with metastatic breast cancer. This led to the breakthrough breast cancer medication Herceptin, the first cancer-fighting drug … Mouse models of human cancers such as prostate, pancreatic and lung cancer are widely utilized to test innovative cancer-fighting agents.” (Office of Media Relations ¶2) without these studies there could have possible never been a breakthrough in cancer fighting drugs. These mice used were the first to help generate the first drug to fight cancer. These mice made history of their own. All the patients’ lives that have been saved since the release of this drug are going to be forever grateful for the mice that allowed for this to happen. We often take for granted the things we do not notice that have been provided to use just because we still continue to test our medical advances on animals. Everything from the allergy pills we take to the asthma medications that save lives of CDC claims as nearly twenty-five million asthma