Even though modern technology has paved the way for multiple-functional devices and products, still animal testing is legally required for many products that are used every day.

Not just fragrances, pain killers, but from fabric dyes in our clothing to every drug is one time being forced fed to small animals.

Humane Society International (HIS) and other global cooperation companies and government authorities are working deliberately to stop harsh and obsolete animal-poisoning tests performed on animals.

In addition to this, research conducted a few years back proved that 85% of experiments were conducted on rabbits, fishes, birds, dogs, cats, mini pigs, monkeys, and mice only. Because these small animals have similar physiology as humans.

Therefore these animals are forced to confine to barren cages along with socially isolated. It’s not just all; they are also psychologically traumatized. These small animals used in the experiment are treated as nothing more than just disposable laboratory equipment.

According to (Pandora Pound et al. British Medical Journal 328, 514-7, 2004)

“The claim that animal experimentation is essential to medical development is not supported by proper, scientific evidence but by opinion and anecdote. Systematic reviews of its effectiveness don’t support the claims made on its behalf.”

Pandora Pound et al. British Medical Journal 328, 514-7, 2004

Thus, if you wish to learn more about animal testing. Fret no more, we will provide you complete details about what is animal testing? Animal testing pros and cons, animal testing facts, and much more.

Keeping scrolling! Let’s delve more and know everything about animal testing.

What is animal testing?

The term “animal testing” refers to a test conducted on living animals for the purpose of research. These tests are performed to access the effect of new medicine and industry products such as cosmetics, household cleaners, food additives, pharmaceuticals, industrial/agrochemicals, and much more.

Even though mild tests are performed, but they can cause a great deal of suffering. Often many animals are killed at the end of an experiment.

Shared below is a selection of standard animal procedures:

  • Neck breaking or killing by carbon dioxide asphyxiation.
  • Research on physiology and treatment by giving infliction of pain.
  • Research on burns and other injuries to study healing and infliction of wounds.
  • Water & food deprivation.
  • Identification by ear-notching and tail clipping.
  • Physical restraint by prolonged periods.
  • Surgical procedures followed by fast recovery.

What types of animals are used in research?

As mentioned above, animals are not identical to humans, but they have some biological and psychological similarities. Since animals have a shorter life span, they make the right research subject, and scientists also refer to using small animals as part of their medical research.

A Veterinary surgeon Dr. Andre Menache has said this in one of his research conferences that:

“Humans share about 98.4% of their DNA with chimpanzees.”

Furthermore, these are some of the reasons to elaborate further on “The use of animals in research.”

  • To take scientific research to the next level.
  • To use them as models to study diseases.
  • To search for the potential forms of treatments.
  • To improve safety checks.

Why is animal testing consider to be wrong?

Poisoning, shocking, burning, and killing animals all day long in a laboratory is derisive. It unethical to cause them torture, pain, and loneliness.

According to the research held by the National Institutes of Health proved that “95 out of every 100 drugs that pass animal tests failed in humans.” 

What’s the best alternative?

The best alternative to animal testing to generate a better outcome is given below:

  • Computer ( in-silico ) modeling.
  • In-vitro techniques.
  • Chips on human organs.
  • Micro dosing.
  • Functional magnetic resonance imagining (fMRI) technique.
  • Non-animal tests to ensure the safety of cosmetic products.

What are the significant facts of animal testing?

In the past few years, there has been much confusion and controversies in animal testing regarding its monitoring, practices, and implementations. These might lead you to further confusion. Therefore, to help you get a better understanding, given below are some animal testing facts that you can check out.

Animal Testing Facts 

  • Many government regulations are often required for numerous different animal-poisoning tests. Just to assess and ensure the hazards of a single new chemical, pesticide, or medicinal product on animals.
  • Approx. 10% of animals are used in biomedical researches.
  • In the United Kingdom, rats and mice are used for testing purposes.
  • About 95% of rodents, birds, and fishes are used for researches in the United States.
  • Top 9 animal testing countries in the world are the USA, China, Japan, Australia, Canada, France, UK, Germany, and Brazil.
  • The countries that have banned animal testing includes Europe, Israel, and India for cosmetic. Also, these countries have refused to sell or import the newly animal testing beauty products.
  • The renowned and reputed hospitals that perform animal testing are Northwick Park Hospital, Edinburgh Royal Infirmary, Bristol Royal Infirmary, and North London Guy’s & St Thomas’s Hospital, London many more.

Let’s dig deep and have a look at some of the animal testing pros and cons.

Animal Testing Pros and Cons

Animal testing not only has all the adverse, but it also has some potential benefits. So, if you want to know better, shared below are some of the best ones.

Animal Testing Pros

  • It has played a vital role in contributing to outrageous scientific findings.
  • It has provided in saving the lives of people
  • It is one of the best simulate of human’s physiology
  • The testing results have also provided benefits for animals as well
  • It has now become easier for scientists to examine the complete lifecycle quickly
  • It helps in generating new treatments and benefits for the society
  • As compared to food for humans, relatively few animals are used in research
  • Scientist found that animals have a proper structure of cells
  • As computer model is not ideal for studying the human  physiology
  • In the future, dogs can be the reason to cure the cancer

Animal testing cons

  • Many of the products that are tested on animals are used even by humans
  • Most of the animals face inhumane treatment in the process
  • At the time, animals and humans are never precisely the same
  •  Most of the facilities fail to follow animal welfare laws
  •  Many of the animal experiments misled the  researchers
  • Can be expensive
  • Millions of animals lives are wasted every year
  • It’s often used for non-life saving products
  • Often, many healthy animals are made sick for the purpose to study several diseases

Should “Animal Testing” be banned?

Yes, animal testing should be banned because it violates animals’ rights. It not only causes pain and suffering to animals but kills them to death. Instead, animals should be treated with respect and dignity, after all. Animals are living creatures too. They even have feelings, thoughts, goals, and needs, a desire that is most similar to human functions and capacities, and all these should be respected, not exploited in any case.

Tom Regan asserts that “animals are subjects of a life just as human beings are, and a subject of a life has inherent value. They are . . . ends in themselves” (qtd. in Orlans 26)

The Final Words

In many conferences, animal testing has been a topic of debate and argument, and many people still believe that it’s not right to use animals in testing. Since much research has been conducted should be stopped to find potential benefits, disadvantages, and alternatives.

Besides, the fact cannot be denied that not all experiments are acceptable. Still, those done on animals for improvement by medical facilities to find the relevant cure and save lives can also be accepted.