Testing on Animals: Behind the Eight Ball

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She sits alone in a threadbare, chilly, metal cage. Her eyes dart around wondering when the next torture will commence. If the testing fails to kill her, the stress definitely will. Entering is the doctor who plans to perform an eye irritancy test. The rabbit’s eyes will be held open with clips for at least three days if she survives that long (“Frequently Asked Questions”). Similarly, if these procedures would be performed on a human, they would be considered illegal. Yet, scientists continue to make harmless animals suffer incessantly. Annually, countless animals are abused in American test labs; however, alternative practices should be implemented in order to participate in worldwide trade, save innocent lives, and provide more accurate data. According to ProCon.org, in 2010, there were 1,134,693 reported animal testing subjects. However, this statistic fails to tell the whole story. Reported animal test subjects account for only between five and fifteen percent of the total amount of animals used in test labs (“Animal Testing”). However, according to In Defense of Animals, or IDA, the United States federal laws only mandate the number of “warm-blooded vertebrae animals used in science” to be counted and reported. Based on this federal law it is estimated that twenty-eight million animals are used annually in American test labs alone (“Frequently Asked Questions”). In 2007, slightly less than a half million animals were used by the United States Department of Defense. Even with growing evidence showing the dangers of animal testing, America continues to implement these processes. In May 2013, the United States Coast Guard went as far as to ignore a Congressional order to begin to scale back the amount of animal t... ... middle of paper ... ... 2014. "Animal Testing 101." PETA. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, n.d. Web. 22 Mar. 2014. "Animal Testing is Bad Science: Point/Counterpoint." PETA. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, n.d. Web. 23 Mar. 2014. Cohen, Arna. "Do You Know How Your Mascara is Made?" The Human Society. All Animals Magazine, 10 Feb. 2014. Web. 25 Mar. 2014. "Humane Research." The Truth About Vivisection.. In Defense of Animals, n.d. Web. 19 Mar. 2014. "In Vitro." Merriam-Webster. Merriam-Webster, n.d. Web. 28 Mar. 2014. “Frequently Asked Questions." The Truth About Vivisection. In Defense of Animals, n.d. Web. 26 Mar. 2014. Kanter, James. "E.U. Bans Cosmetics With Animal-Tested Ingredients." New York Times. The New York Times, 10 Mar. 2013. Web. 20 Mar. 2014. Owen, Marna. Animal Rights: Noble Cause or Needless Effort? Minneapolis: Twenty-First Century, 2010. Print.

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