Download Dear Gazette Editing Staff, Everyday thousands of animals such as

Dear Gazette Editing Staff,
Everyday thousands of animals such as dogs, cats, monkeys, guinea pigs
and rabbits are being used for testing and killed for things as unnecessary
as cosmetics. These animals are put through painful test and suffering as
chemicals burn their skin and their eyes and have harmful substances are
forced down their throats. The tests used are less than 20 percent
accurate. This means that the tests prove nothing and the product could
still be harmful to humans.
Drug testing on animals is also unnecessary. Animals have different DNA
so their bodies react differently to drugs than humans. A drug safe for
animals may not be safe for humans. If a drug that could be helpful and
safe for humans reacts poorly in animals the drug may never be used for
humans. Tylenol is deadly to animals, but helpful to humans. Chocolate is
deadly to animals but fine for humans. Drugs that pass animal test will
eventually need to be “tested” on humans. Why not just start with humans?
No matter how many animal tests are done, someone will always be the
first human to be tested on. Because animal tests are so unreliable, they
make human trials all the more risky. Of the small percentage of drugs that
are approved for human use, half are relabeled because of side effects that
were not identified in animal tests.
After writing and research project about this for my English class I feel very
strongly about this cause.
Sincerely,
Catherine McLean
Coralville Iowa 52241
Bibliography
American Anti-Vivisection Society. "Animal Research Is Unethical and Scientifically
Unnecessary." Animal Experimentation. Ed. Susan C. Hunnicutt. Detroit: Greenhaven Press,
2013. At Issue. Rpt. from "Problems with Animal Research." 2011. Opposing Viewpoints in
Context. Web. 13 Dec. 2013.
Coster, Patience. The Debate about Animal Testing. New York, NY: Rosen Central, 2011. Print.
Goodman, Justin R. "Mounting Opposition to Vivisection." SIRS Researcher. OCLC, Spring 2012.
Web. 2 Dec. 2013.
Miller, Debra A. "Superior Research Methods Make Animal Testing Unjustified." The Rights of
Animals. Detroit: Greenhaven, 2009. N. pag. Print.
Miller, Sarah Rose A. "Animal Experimentation Is Unnecessary." Animal Rights. Ed. Shasta
Gaughen. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 2005. Contemporary Issues Companion. Rpt. from
"Animal Research." Humanist (Sept. 2001): 15. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 13
Dec. 2013.
Paterlini, Marta. "Thousands of Italian Scientists Protest Limits on Animal Research." Science.
Science Insider, 5 Dec. 2013. Web. 6 Dec. 2013. <news.sciencemag.org>
Watson, Stephanie. Animal Testing: Issues and Ethics. New York: Rosen Pub., 2009. Print.
Outline
Catherine McLean
Animal Experimentation Is a Mistake
Thesis: Testing with the use of animals is unethical to because animals have
different DNA than humans do, it is cruel and unnecessary, and humans react
differently to medicine than animals.
I.
Introduction
A. Jeremy Bentham, a philosopher, states “The question is not can they
reason? Nor, can they talk? But, can they suffer?” (Watson 37).
B. Background
1. Animals are not the same as humans and may not respond in the
same way to treatments (Watson 37)
b. After experiments are finished, animals are often put down
a. Animals are kept in cages
2. Most drugs that pass animal trials are found to be unsafe or
ineffective in human trials (Currie 148)
3. Although some researchers are careful, animals still feel pain and
stress (Watson 29)
C. It is unethical to do tests on animals because it is cruel and unnecessary,
animals have different DNA than humans do, and animals react
differently to medicine than humans do.
II.
It is unethical to preform tests on animals because many of the tests are
cruel and unnecessary.
A. Draize test (Miller 1)
B.
C.
D.
E.
1. Tests for household products and harmful chemicals
2. Chemicals rub in rabbits eyes
3. Often causes intense pain and destroys eyes leaving them raw and
bleeding
4. After 7 hours the rabbits are killed
LD-50 test (Miller 1)
1. Toxicity test that continues until half of the test group is dead
2. Test lasts for days
3. Animals suffer stress and pain
Experiments can involve (Watson 20)
1. Drowning, suffocating, starving, burning, blinding animals, destroying
ability to hear, destroying their brains, severing limbs, crushing
organs, inducing heart attacks, paralysis, forcing the animals to inhale
tobacco smoke, drink alcohol, and force them to ingest various drugs
such as heroin and cocaine for studies of addiction.
Animals such as monkeys and dogs are kept in cages where they have
little room
Killed after experiments
III. It is unethical to perform test on animals because animal testing is
unreliable
A. One in every seven rodent cancer studies is judged to be inadequate or
to have produced unclear results (Miller 148)
B. Test results delayed when animals used instead of humans (Goodman 1)
1. Risks of smoking
2. Polio vaccine
C. Only visible affects are useful (Coster 26)
1. Animals can’t communicate pain and discomfort reactions
2. Scientists rely on guess work for animal discomfort
3. May underestimate the animals’ suffering
D. Statistics show that 9 out of 10 promising animal trials fail in human
clinical trials (Hunnicutt 1)
1. Health and Human Services secretary, Mike Leavitt (Hunnicutt 1)
2. Animal testing results are misleading and can be manipulated to
favor those paying for them. (Paterlini 1)
IV.
Most important, it is unethical to preform test on animals because, animals
react differently to medicine than humans do.
A. Drugs that are tested safe for animals may not be safe for humans
(Coster 20)
1. 2006 case study (Watson 27)
a. Cats, dog, & monkey’s had no adverse reaction at 500X dosage
(Watson 27)
b. Small dose given to men they became critically ill
c. Humans had liver, kidney, and heart failure also needed
amputation of fingers and toes.
B. Drugs that do not test well on animals are never given a chance on
humans
1. Lipitor (Hunnicutt 1)
a. Not promising in animals was not going to be produced for
humans
b. Research tested on a small group of humans was very effective
2. Acetaminophen poisonous to cats
3. Penicillin toxic to guinea pigs
4. Morphine causes hyperactivity in cats
C. Reliance on the “animal model” has resulted in millions of human
deaths (Coster 20).
D. Phenotypes in animals (Hunnicutt 1)
E.
Moneim Fadali, cardiac surgeon says “Animal models different from
their human counter parts. Conclusions drawn from animal research
when applied to human disease, are likely to delay progress, mislead, and
do harm to the patient.” (Watson 25)
V. Conclusion
A. It is unethical to preform tests on animals because it is cruel and
unnecessary, animals have different DNA than humans do, and animals
react differently to medicine than humans do.
B. Animals suffer often because of the testing of luxury or inessential
products to cover companies against legal claims for damages.
1. Rabbits blinded and killed for face cream or shampoo
C. Many countries have found animal testing not necessary for tests
(Coster 41).
D. Animals tortured and killed for unnecessary and never used medical
trials.