Animal Testing Needs to Stop

Animals have no voice, so humans must be their voice.

At this moment, millions of animals are being tested. This adds to the on-going list of more than 100 million animals that have suffered and died in tests in the United States.

Consent has been thrown out of the window because these animals have no voice other than the terrified screams they let out as the next procedure is done on them.

Most animal testing is required by law, but some of it is not. This leads to there still being legal testings on animals. Examples of tests are forcibly giving dogs pesticides, dropping chemicals in rabbit’s eyes, and making mice and rabbits inhale toxic fumes.

“Animal testing is a very cruel way to get products tested. The process is in no way ethical, and it must be stopped to ensure animals all across the world are safe,” junior Brooke Rhyne said.

Rhyne is co-founder and president of the Barks and Recreation club at Dunbar.

Even though animals are harmed when testing products, these products can still be approved and released to the public. When a product is confirmed useful for animals, it could be harmful to humans.

However, some countries have banned testing consumer goods on animals. This is similar to the cosmetics-testing bans used in a few countries.

There is an Animal Welfare Act, but because mice, rats, birds, and cold-blooded animals make up 99% of the animals used in experiments, they are not protected.

There are ways to get around animal testing by using non-animal testing methods. They have the possibility of being cheaper and quicker, but they will always remain more humane.

Peta says, “Each of us can help prevent animal suffering and deaths by buying cruelty-free products, donating only to charities that don’t experiment on animals, requesting alternatives to animal dissection, demanding the immediate implementation of humane, effective non-animal tests by government agencies and corporations, and calling on our alma maters to stop experimenting on animals.”