“Over 100 million animals are burned, crippled, poisoned, and abused in US labs every year.” Animals such as cats, dogs, rodents, primates, and others continue to suffer from the effects of animal testing. Animal experimentation dates back to 300 B.C. and is still practiced today in the 21st century. Items such as makeup, shampoo, household cleaning products, medicine, and countless others are tested on helpless animals. Over the years, there have been some laws passed to try and help improve the welfare of animals; however, I do not believe that enough has been done—we need to use our voices to help animals who don’t have one. All drug, cosmetic, and beauty companies should be limited by the standards of the law to partake in testing on animals.
Ancient Greek literature from the fourth and third centuries B.C.E. includes the earliest references to animal testing. Throughout the Middle Ages, the Islamic world expanded on ancient medicine, with the help of testing on animals. During the Renaissance, there was a spike in interest in science, including the use of animals for dissection and experimentation. Through the 18th and 19th centuries, modern medicine started to form which led to a new peak of testing on animals. The 20th century witnessed quite a lot of testing, specifically in biomedical research and drug development. Post-World War II was a turning point for the protection of animals. Testing became more systematic with standards thanks to regulatory agencies like the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Concerns over animal welfare and the morality of animal experiments also rose during the 20th century. Many argued that animals need to be treated humanely and that there should be fewer experiments on them. Groups such as the Humane Society and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) stand behind this. There need to be more organizations like the above that help advocate for animal rights and work toward more laws to protect and limit the testing of animals.
Animals, just like humans, have emotions and are capable of feeling fear and despair. They also experience pain in a similar way we do; even fish feel pain, contrary to popular belief. Animals are unable to speak, so we must be their voice and stand up for what is right. Animals must endure various painful procedures, such as being forced to ingest poison, being repetitively operated on, having wires put into their brains, and having their spines broken. Most of the time after all of that, these animals will be thrown back into a cage without the use of any kind of painkillers. All of this is being done without the permission of the animals, who obviously can’t speak for themselves. Not only do these animals suffer, but sometimes nothing even comes out of it. PETA states that most of the experimentation on animals does not even help to improve human health. This is incredibly frustrating, putting helpless animals through hell when nothing comes of it. Whether it be restrictions or laws, action must be taken so that there are strict protocols on animals’ rights and safety.
As a society, we need to recognize how unethical animal testing is and seriously consider how we can solve the problem. I believe that makeup, beauty, and cosmetic companies should have to make it clear to consumers if they test on animals. Companies will put labels saying their product is cruelty free, but I believe it should go two ways. Any brand that does test on animals should have to label their product, letting consumers know so. More laws need to be created to allow for the protection of animals. A major law that has been passed is the Animal Welfare Act, which sets minimal standards for the treatment of certain warm-blooded animals. The law also requires that animal testing facilities must receive an inspection annually. However, there are some loopholes and weak parts of this law. Certain facilities only receive partial inspections. Additionally, purpose-bred mice, rats, and birds, crabs, fish, frogs, octopuses, and turtles are not protected by this act. I think that there need to be some adjustments made to this act to strengthen its protection for animals. For the safety and welfare of animals, more laws should be passed to prevent the cruelty of animal testing.
There may still be disagreement around using animals in research and the ramifications for society, science, and ethics. As technology advances and moral standards change, more people are beginning to doubt its necessity. Animals are just like us; they experience emotions and can feel pain. We need to start treating them like right. They may have no voice, but we do, and we need to use it to spark change. More laws, rules and regulations must be passed to work towards protecting animals.
Just be mindful next time you go to buy shampoo, and check to see if there is a cruelty free label. Animals deserve better, and as a society we need to work towards higher standards for our furry friends.
