CP Article

Animal Experiment: To Find A Balance between Science and Ethics

Look back for the past years in my life, the strongest fear was not from a thrill roller coaster, a breath-taking scary movie even a death of love, an earthquake happened just a few miles away but the moment in an anatomy class when I took a scalpel and ended the life of an innocent frog by myself. I could not help to cry when I saw his eyes looking at me and gradually stopped trembling in my hands. The feeling of murdering swallowed me and kept to be my nightmare for weeks. That was the first time I questioned my biology major, questioned the method of science research, questioned the world rule of “superior human being” and questioned the meaning of life. Teaching is only a small part of animal experiment using. Every year, there are about 100 million of vertebrates are used for the purpose of research, such as medical researches or cosmetic testing.

Animal experiment is always a controversial topic. It has to be acknowledged that the importance of animal experiment cannot be completely denied. Thank to the sacrifice of animals, there are thousands of medical researches break through every year. Scientists use vertebrates for new drugs or security testing. They insist that animal experiment is necessary for researches. But according to the statistic from Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), 92 percent of the successful animal-tested drugs do not make through the first phase of clinical trials in human beings. In 2009, approximately 76,000 animals involved in severe pain during the research procedures. Dogs who are usually regarded family members are used specifically for the striking researches with an approximately number of 17 - 22 millions. They are even under unhygienic conditions and some of them die from useless reasons like diseases (Naik Para 6-7). These are heartbreaking facts for not only animal lovers but also for all people that call for animal rights. Are the experiment results worth the lives? Is there any replacement for these inefficient experiments? Is there any measure to reduce the pains and promote the humanism for experiment animals?

Firstly, a great amount of animal experiments can be avoided because they are cruel and unnecessary. For instance, rabbits are in great demand in cosmetic testing especially in those bigwigs. Their ears and eyes are extremely ideal places for the skin care or make-up products testing. Recently, Shiseido became the first Japanese company responded the animal testing regulation in Europe and announced that they would ban animal testing. Cosmetics are not critical areas like medicine. These cruel experiments should be banned. Both of the measurement in Shiseido and Europe enhanced animal protection from unnecessary researches which can be easily replaced by chemical testing or other solutions. So far, a lot of cosmetic companies like Body Shop, Revlon, Chanel and Clinique acclaimed they are “cruelty-free”.

Moreover, animal experiment in teaching can also be reduced. With the anatomy videos, textbooks and numerous teaching methods, the field operation is not necessary for every student. For those who will study accounting or architecture in college, the frog anatomy class in high school was really useless. Even for students majoring in life sciences like me, the death of animal can be also reduced by some teaching method reforming like sharing animals in observation.

Secondly, scientists who are involved in animal experiments should follow the Five Freedom Amendment and Three Rs to protect the animal rights. The Five Freedom Amendment was initialed by British government in 1965 aimed to intensive the farm animal production. It expanded meaning through the following years with the endeavor from animal care organizations all over the world to all animals specially the testing animals. The five freedoms are: freedom from hunger and thirst; freedom from discomfort; freedom from pain, injury or disease; freedom to express normal behavior; and freedom from fear and distress. These regulations effectively constrain the using of animals. Hygienic shelters, food and water for the animals provide the physical care and the no pain and pressure for them are the concerns about their mental health. Take for an example, some primates like monkeys and chimpanzees actually have high intellective cognition and are able to sense some complex motions. If they are not under proper care, the pressure come along with the experiment would produce severe injury to them.      

Besides, the Three Rs is also served as regulations for animal experiments. It appeals scientist to “reduce” the number of animal used in experiment, “refine” the methodology and “replace” animal experiment with other methods (Doctors and Lawyers for Responsible Medicine, Para 13-15). The promotions of this regulation believe that the animal test cannot be completely abolished; however, an alternative method for animal test and scientific method should be promoted to maximize the value of animal test.  In another words, the result should worth the death. In addition, there should be a fourth R which is the “responsibility”. The scientists need to take responsibility to either the animals or the public. The using of animal should be clear to public.

Human being should not be superior to any other kinds of lives. We do not have the right to arbitrarily manage the lives of the vertebrates. The experiment animals are heroes for human because they sacrifice lives for new drugs or products that are mainly benefit human. Although the animal testing cannot be entirely banned we must do something to ensure their “rights”. Imagine that if mice instead of human are controlling the world, what will we feel if we are treated as low grade experiment animals? How would you feel if the dog used for cosmetic testing is the one that company you for years like a friend? Animals are our friends! To be tested in the cold laboratory should not be their destiny. The attitude of us towards them will change their entire lives.

Reference

Doctors and Lawyers for Responsible Medicine. Alternative Medical Research. 

        December 2001. Web. May 14 2012.

Naik, Abhijit. Animal Experimentation Statistics. Oct. 6 2011. Web. May 14 2012.