Arguments Against Animal Testing

I was that kid that incessantly begged her mom for a dog until finally, after years of pleading, she decided to shut me up by giving in. I have always been an avid animal lover, whether it was catching garter snakes in our backyard (or how I thought it was pronounced when I was seven – “Gardener” snakes), or going out of my way to pet every single dog I passed by, or finding a stray cat and thinking that my mom would actually let me keep it. So evidently, something that has always disturbed me is the cruel treatment bestowed upon many animals used for testing and laboratory experiments. I have never been able to wrap my head around the idea that companies actively choose to inflict pain and misery on innocent creatures, potentially harming or even killing them. Not only that, but the way the animals are treated – locked up in cages, given barely any sustenance besides what is necessary to keep them alive – is extremely inhumane and unjust. I have never had the opportunity to write a paper on an issue that I felt strongly about and could personally choose, so I decided to take this opportunity to do just that. It seems that sometimes this

is an issue that gets swept under the rug and overshadowed by more prominent issues in our society, however that does not mean it isn’t equally as important. The way we choose to treat and exert our power and “superiority” on animals could have a potential correlation with how we choose to dehumanize human beings that differ from ourselves.

PETA has always been a leading advocate for animal rights and fair treatment.

Although they tend to be on the extremist end of the spectrum, they are extremely skilled at creating a solid argument against animal testing and the cruel treatment and inhumane environment animals are exposed to in laboratories. I think this topic can be loosely related to panopticism; specifically the idea of the powerful (companies and laboratories that choose to use animal experimentation) versus the powerless (the animals being abused). However, I believe that my strongest argument lies in a different region rather than having my main focus be on relating my topic to the text we read in class. My arguable claim is that animal testing needs to be put to an end, as there are a variety of alternatives that are less harmful and much more

humane.

I’m simply trying to spread awareness and suggest a change in the way we choose to treat animals and companies that believe it’s okay to test on animals. This is my main purpose – I’m not trying to argue for or against animal cruelty in other scenarios for other purposes, such as slaughterhouses, because although I do believe this is also a serious issue it’s not what I want to focus on. There is absolutely no way to justify using animals for scientific or commercial testing, especially when there is a potential risk for the health and overall wellbeing of the animal. The reason we use animals for testing is because their DNA can be up to 99% similar to that of humans. Doesn’t this seem counterintuitive to test on species that are so closely related to us? Some may argue that animals do not have rights, however ruining an animals’ quality of life and justifying it by saying they can’t say or do anything about it is completely selfish and ignorant. Animals cannot speak but they still have thoughts, feelings and comprehensive abilities and they need someone to advocate for them and their rights. We as humans need to find a way to coexist in this world with other species (some, I might add, that have been here for much longer than we have) and reduce our destructive footprint on the environment and cohabitants. I believe that figuring out and implementing an alternative to testing on animals is as good of a place to start as any.