The use of animals in research

Animal research is one of the prevailing controversial issues of today’s society. There is a fine line between ethics benefiting people and that of ethics harming animals and which view should be adopted a the law for dealing with the use of animals in medical and psychological research, and also in research of other types. Animal testing involves the use of non-human animals in scientific experimentation which can include anything from medical use to psychological alternatives. Animals ranging from flies and worms to that of large and more complex organisms such as non-human primates are used annually in the name of furthering our understanding of the human organism and the limits of medical science. But the controversy lies in whether animals should be used at all. Is the benefit of testing on animals worth the cruelty humans impose on them and is it fair to assume authority over lesser organisms? There are suggestions that animals are not even self-aware and as such, should not be treated on par with humans. Many of these supporters point out the large benefits of medical testing of animals and how humankind has thus benefited. Animal activists argue that the research can be done similarly without harming animals and that exploiting them only leads to a more nonchalant attitude toward our animal friends. If animals are not used, then many humans could die awaiting a cure but thousands of animals die daily and to date, the benefits on humans does not justify the killing. This is just many of the questions that plague the scientific and ethical argument for the use of animals in research.
Those who seek to change human practices toward animals fall into two distinct groups: those who seek animal rights and those who seek to protect animal welfare. Animal welfare advocates the implementation of stronger laws preventing cruelty toward animals and requiring humane treatment. It is this group that advocates strongly against the use of animals in medical and scientific testing, which they deem cruel and unnecessary. Animal welfare activist argue that the scientific finding that are discovered with the use of animals can also be done without the use of animals.
They also say that animals feel pain and that many of the procedures done on animals are cruel and unnecessary. Animal welfare activists believe that all animals feel some degree of pain and if not pain, then a level of stress from having to undergo experimentation procedures. They consider any amount of stress or discomfort as unethical treatment of animals and justify their cause in this way. Their main argument stands on the foundation that the amount of medical research uncovered through the use of animal experimentation is too small to justify the amount of animals being hurt needlessly and that the research can be done without animals to begin with.

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