Animal Experimentation Saves Lives | Teen Ink

Animal Experimentation Saves Lives MAG

By Anonymous

   It may not becommon knowledge, but animals save lives each and every day. Animalexperimentation has existed since ancient times to contribute to human life andsurvival. These experiments became the building blocks of health and medicine,and methods of experimentation have been improved and recognized since then. Someof these included the research of diabetes, vaccines, cancer, AIDS/HIV andopen-heart surgery, and as a result, many people have been saved. The use ofanimal experimentation should be recognized and accepted as a tool in savinglives.

Although animal experimentation saves lives, those against it arguethat its results are inaccurate and testing should be stopped. Many human andanimal diseases are similar, though, including rabies, tuberculosis, andleptospirosis (McCoy). Diabetics have animal experimentation and Canadian doctorFrederick Banting to thank; according to Animals in Research: Issues andConflicts, "Dr. Banting believed it possible to make an extract out oftissue from beef pancreas that could be used in the treatment of diabetes"(McCoy). He made this breakthrough and "thousands of lives are saved everyyear by insulin" (McCoy).

In the 1940s and 1950s, a polio epidemiccrippled and killed children and newborns. Without animal experimentation,"polio would still be claiming thousands of lives each year" (Haugen).The generations who had the vaccine have "grown up to be doctors, teachers,business leaders, government officials, and parents" (Haugen). Many wouldnot be alive today without it.

Animals have animal experimentation tothank for their lives, too. Many animal-rights activists argue that it is uselessbecause animals have nothing to gain. In reality, this experimentation is savingthe very animals these activists are trying to protect. Louis Pasteur, a Frenchchemist, helped save animals as well as humans when he developed a vaccine forrabies. He cultured the virus and then injected it into rabbits. The rabbitscontracted the rabies after 14 days. These experiments helped him create thevaccine for dogs. When Pasteur saw it was effective, he searched for a rabiesvaccine for humans (McCoy). Today, animal-lovers everywhere do not have to puttheir petS "to sleep" If they contract rabies. Instead they can just goto their veterinarian and get this preventive vaccine.

Experiments onanimals actually benefit all walks of life. Animal-rights activists disagree withany experiments performed on animals. There are human experiments, but when itendangers a human being, they are stopped because of morals. Animals aresubstituted instead. Richard Jones, a biology professor at Colorado University,says, "Nobody I know of, in biological research, who has to sacrificeanimals, likes it. It is a matter of priorities. You work for the greatergood" (Haugen). Animal-rights activists' literature claims that between 20and 70 million animals are used. The Office of Technical Assessment states,"Seventeen to 22 million animals are used, of which 90% are rodents"(McCoy). So it's not as if scientists experiment on endangered species; they useanimals with a fast reproduction rate that are abundant.

Lawrence Wade ofThe Washington Times said, "People involved in the animal-rights movementconsider the life of a cat, dog, chicken or pig to be equal to the life of ahuman. It just shows how far some of us have fallen in respect for humanlife" (Rohr).

Humans have vast intelligence, and through thisintelligence, they have a moral duty: to protect all living things and make surethey survive and flourish. Animal experimentation helps humans help themselves,as well as the animals around them. It is through this great sacrifice that manyhumans and animals are alive today. We must stay focused on saving lives becauseit is all for the greater good.

Works Cited:
Haugen, David M., ed. Animal Experimentation At Issue Series. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, Inc., 2000.

McCoy, J. J. Animals in Research: Issues and Conflicts. New York: Impact, 1993

Rohr, Janelle, ed. Animal Rights. Opposing Viewpoints Series. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, Inc., 1989






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This article has 7 comments.


i love this so much!

KhanLi said...
on Dec. 26 2013 at 5:54 pm
KhanLi, Foster City, California
0 articles 0 photos 2 comments

Favorite Quote:
"As if we are any different than the horses we shove into confined and unsanitary stalls, the deer we kill by careless driving, the rats and apes we put in closed laboratories to run chemical experiments on for the rest of their mutated lives."

If test a vaccine on one animal, and it developes a cure, millions of people would be saved. Think about it.   One animal                                                                               For a million animals (Humans)

hey y'all said...
on May. 20 2012 at 2:23 pm
I agree this has been helping a lot on a school project thanks. This article rox!!!

lulz said...
on Jul. 24 2011 at 11:53 pm
Someone get a mop, your bleeding heart is spilling all over the floor. If you have ever been vaccinated for polio, than you are alive because of animal testing.. that is all..

Vikky said...
on Feb. 27 2011 at 7:30 pm

I'm totally disagree with this  essay!!!!!! Humans do not have any rights to kill animals! Animals were created by God as humans and we should live together in peace! even if Animals can not talk for themselves it does not mean that they can not feel like we do! I hate when some people say that animals can protect humans life and help us. Do you think that someone can do the same for animals??? give his life to protect an animal??? Sorry for my english, i'm not American =)

P.S I think people should be more protective for our earth neighbors - animals. Thats how we can make our world a better place to live! =)


MakeNice said...
on Nov. 7 2010 at 2:37 pm
Strictly as constructive criticism, I think you should use your young creative mind to take into consideration that maybe the respect for other humans has died because they can happily toture other living creatures. If I cannot torture a child who is equally helpless without being executed then I should not be able to torture an animal who also feels equal pain without being executed. If you were an animal, you would not like to be experimented on would you? Just because you walk on two legs does not make you any better. You should look at the situation from both sides instead of practically being a nazi sympathizer. Again, this is just food for thought.

on Apr. 29 2010 at 8:53 pm

Wow. Got a long story to tell.

I don't know when you published this, but at my school, in our student handbook for writing, an adapted version of your piece is in there for our unit on persuasive essays. 

If you didn't know that, I thought you might want to know. I'd be proud.