110 million animals are killed each year from being used in laboratory experiments. These animals include mice, rats, frogs, dogs, cats, hamsters, guinea pigs, monkeys, fish, and birds. Even the beloved pets like cats or dogs that normally have at least some rights, are subjected to horrendous experiments that leave them maimed or killed.
The people who experiment on these animals, otherwise known as vivisectors, claim that animal experimentation is necessary to save human lives. In reality, there is no need for animal testing and it is a cruel and outdated practice.
Animals Aren’t The Same As Humans
It’s sometimes claimed that animal testing can achieve worthwhile results because animals are claimed to be very similar to humans. Chimpanzees for instance share 99% of DNA with humans. Humans and dogs share 84% of DNA. However, the amount of shared DNA doesn’t mean there will necessary be shared similarities for physiological purposes. Humans share 60% of DNA with bananas but they are nothing alike. Although dogs share a lot of DNA with us, there are things we can eat that dogs can’t, such as onion, grapes, and chocolate, due to the way our bodies process these foods.
Even in primates which are very similar to humans by the basis of DNA, many experimental therapies tested in primates were shown to not be useful for humans. 92 percent of drugs tested on animals that went to clinical trials on humans were failed.
If tests in primates aren’t useful even at 99% of DNA shared, there is absolutely no reason to use mice or dogs which share even less genes. Experimenting on these types of animals just causes suffering on sentient beings for nothing gained. Animal testing is bad on a moral basis and from the point of results it is also a failed endeavor. All the money spent on testing on animals could have likely been used on creating better human cell testing or computational models.
There Are Willing Human Volunteers
At any given time in the United States, there are many humans that are critically ill and close to death from diseases. Many of these people would be willing to try any types of therapy regardless of the risks, as they may only have a year left to live.
The animal testing process just makes it harder for humans to actually test things, because in the current paradigm, treatments often must be tested on animals first before humans can try them out.
Instead of wasting time to torture animals, we could simply let humans volunteer to test new therapies. There are many in the United States with some types of cancer or other serious illnesses. Sometimes promising therapies have shown good results, but humans only get to try them for so long before the trial period is up. Then they have to wait a long time to try the therapies again, during which they could die or go through extreme pain.
It’s purposefully made difficult for humans to try things that could save them, but torturing animals is made easy. Yet, humans can currently volunteer to donate blood, they can even give away their organs like kidneys. It’s clear that humans are allowed to go through some sacrifice in order to benefit the lives of others. If vivisectors think that animal testing is a type of sacrifice, then why not let humans voluntarily take on that sacrifice, giving it more actual meaning.
Why Does Animal Experimentation Continue?
The United States and United Kingdom governments spend billions a year on animal experimentation.
https://www.peta.org/features/taxpayer-money-wasted-annually-animal-testing/
Vivisectors at universities and other high institutions are often interested in keeping animal experimentation going as they receive large funding in order to do so. UCLA for example accepted 6 million from tobacco company Phillip Morris in order to research nicotine addiction.
https://m.choosehelp.com/blogs/tobacco/tobacco-company-funds-ucla-study-on-teen-smoking.html
This is obviously a sign of corruption and misuse of the university scientific system, but worse yet was that animal experimentation was used in these studies. Monkeys were purposefully addicted to nicotine, and then they were killed and their brains were dissected. Professor Edythe London of UCLA seemed to believe these types of things are normal practice, and even was quoted as saying that “The representatives of Philip Morris were very sincere.”
The governments and university system waste a lot of money in activities that hurt both humans and animals, but it doesn’t have to remain that way. Many Americans are disgusted by animal experimentation, and don’t want it to continue. The problem is it’s often purposefully hidden out of sight.
We recommend for people to look into cruelty free brands. Check if makeup or beauty products went through animal testing or not. There are many brands that are at the forefront of being cruelty free and would be happy if you bought their products.
https://www.crueltyfreekitty.com/list-of-cruelty-free-brands/
Want to stop vivisection at the governmental level? The White Coat Waste Movement is doing good work in that, tracking what taxpayer money currently goes to animal experimentation.
https://www.whitecoatwaste.org/
Let us hope that the fraud of animal experimentation comes to an end, and our tax dollars can be used on better alternatives. We can continue public funding to fight disease, but in a new way, using computer models, human volunteers, and organs on chips. Let us build a better world for both humans and animals.
