Like many of you yesterday, I watched the video of the beagles that were rescued from a research center.
Animal testing is a very heated topic. On one hand are organizations like PETA who focus on the cruelty involved. The animals are kept in cages too small to move around in, are never nurtured or shown companionship, and end up dying in that same cage. Even just the images that I've found of abused animals used in testing are too graphic to post - google at your own risk. The most shocking figures are posted by the USDA, as you can see here. According to that report, the amount of animals that were tested in the US in 2009 that included pain in the testing with no drugs given to reduce the pain totaled 76,441.
However, there is the argument that animal testing is necessary. Because of the various regulations and acts that have been passed to regulate testing, most facilities are considered ethical and essential in medical research. One of the biggest supporters for animal research is the Research Defense Society. If that site doesn't answer all of your questions, this dated Q&A addresses additional issues about animal testing, and provides many links for further research. In the UK, the Animals Scientific Procedures Division and Inspectorate Annual Report for 2010 is available for public viewing. Within this report are the steps taken to ensure the safety of the animals, and even lists out each infringement and the actions taken.
I purposely kept this post short, so that you can do your own research and reach your own educated opinion for or against animal testing. So tell me - which side will you stand with? Or is it somewhere in the middle? Please post your thoughts below:
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