Argumentative Essay: Is Animal Experimentation Justified?

Is animal experimentation justified? Some say yes, while the other side says no. Those that oppose animal experimentation argue that animals have their own unalienable rights and should not be tortured for our benefit. However, diseases such as smallpox, Polio, tuberculosis, and meningitis are not nearly as common as they were in previous times. Diseases that were thought to be incurable such as cancer and AIDS are slowly becoming vulnerable to new medicine that is being tested. Advocates of animal research specifically state that animal experimentation has allowed the constant discovery of newer and more efficient medicine such as penicillin, which is used to fight infections or Insulin, which many people with Type 1 diabetes rely on to survive. Those that are against animal experimentation might bring up the …show more content…
The animals that are experimented on are mostly mammals as well. This means that animals such as dogs, cats, and other mammals are also infected everyday with the same diseases that affect us humans. What I mean is that since our anatomy is very similar to that of other animals, the medicine we create from animal testing can also benefit the animals themselves. So in reality, the benefits of animal experimentation actually far outweigh the consequences because it helps us, and it also helps the animals in the long run because we can treat them as well. It is proven that many veterinary medicines are the same as the medicine we receive from our doctors. For example, before synthetic insulin was discovered, people born with type 1 diabetes had an average life expectancy of 27 years less than those of people without it. However, after scientists realized they could extract pancreatic insulin from dogs, we have been able to close this gap for humans and dogs. My final message is, if you have ever taken a vaccine for the flu or even took a dose of Tylenol for the common cold, you have supported animal research one way or