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Animal Experimentation In Research

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Animal Experimentation has played a crucial role in medical advancements and medical training in the United States and around the globe for multiple decades now. In order for new medicines, treatments, and surgical procedures to be allowed legally, they have to proven to be safe and effective by government funded organizations, like the FDA. Animals used in research have been proven necessary for these newly founded medicines, treatments, and procedures to be brought into practice. For instance, kidney and liver transplantation. This type of research, animal experimentation, has lead the way for new drugs as well. While scientists search for a drug to cure Alzheimer’s Disease, my grandfather, William G. Jenkins, has passed away from the …show more content…
In those times vivisection was typical procedure or method for experimentation (Driscoll and Finley). According to Encyclopedia Britannica, vivisection is defined as an, “operation on a living animal for experimental rather than healing purposes; more broadly, all experimentation on live animals” (“vivisection”). When people think “experiments on live animals,” they often times think of it as, taking a scalpel to a live animal killing it. Although that may be the case for ancient times, that is not the case today. In today’s experimental research, scientist try to do little harm to the animal, meaning they try as hard as possible so that the subject is not disturbed or is agitated as little as possible without altering the research (in text). However, to ensure that the animal subjects are not harmed extensively, “there are two federal laws that govern the use of animals in experiments. One is the Health Research Extension Act of 1985. The other is Animal Welfare Act of 1993” (“Animal Research”). The newer of the two, Animal Welfare Act, states one must have a certified veterinarian at the facilities and also lists off specific and detailed requirements for cats, dogs, and nonhuman primates (Crawford). Along with a veterinarian on site, there are a strict set of guidelines to obtain a license, like being involved with an approved research or testing program, being qualified to carry …show more content…
When doctors, scientist, and P.E.T.A. say animals they are referring to rodents. Approximately 95 percent of animals used in research, particularly medical, are disease carrying rats and mice (Driscoll and Finley). However, the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, stand by the mantra “animals are not ours to eat, wear, experiment on, here for our entertainment, and not ours to abuse in any way” (Animal Rights). The organization and their activist hold on to the belief that all animals have rights, even rodents. Rats have the same rights as I do? If the nation agrees to what P.E.T.A is proposing, we are agreeing to giving rodents the same rights as humans. Although it is inhumane to blatantly abuse rodents, using them in testing is not abusive, unethical, inhumane or immoral. Using animals to understand deadly diseases, to prevent, and cure them in the future is anything but wrong,however, using them to beautify someone can be unethical. Scientists conduct research under idea of the “three R’s.” The R’s consist of replace, reduce, and refine. Under the principle of refine, scientists and doctors civilize the testing to make certain that the animals suffer as little pain as possible. Doing so by improving housing and the way procedures are carried out to better the animal’s welfare (Understanding Animal Research). Finding cures and medicines to fatal illnesses outweighs any small pain

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