Animal Testing: Scientific Testing and Animal Welfare

Abstract

Animal testing can be dated back thousands of years to ancient Greece, when early scientists such as Aristotle performed experiments on live animals. Early physicians used animals to test surgical procedures before using them on humans. In the 20th and 21st centuries, more laws and restrictions have been put in place to care for our animals and preserve their well-being and health. Countries like China, Japan, the United States, Canada, Australia, South Korea, and the United Kingdom are some of the top animal testing countries. Those against animal testing point out that the benefit it poses to humans does not justify the harm it does to the animal, while those in support see it as a necessary step in acquiring more knowledge in both medical and biological fields. In many countries, there are laws in place that make animal testing a necessary procedure in assessing the safety of a medicine or drug. Despite this, about 192 million animals are used globally for scientific purposes. This paper argues that the inhumane nature of animal testing should not be permitted in countries around the world. Countries should not allow testing and experimentation on animals due to the harm to the animals’ health and their inability to be released back into the wild.