good thesis statement on animal testing

Animal Testing Thesis Statement

Ultimately, the decision of whether or not to support animal experimentation is a personal one. There are valid arguments on both sides of the issue, and it is up to each individual to decide what they believe is right.

Animal testing is the use of animals in experiments and development projects to determine the toxicity, efficacy or side effects of substances such as drugs, chemicals, cosmetics, vaccines and other products. In many countries around the world animals are still suffering in laboratories with little hope for relief. According to the Animal Welfare Act (AWA), federal law regulates the treatment of animals in research, exhibition, transport, and by dealers.

The AWA does not extend to birds, rats of the genus Rattus, and mice of the genus Mus, which together account for more than 95% of all animals used in research.(1)Animal Experimentation Up 80 Percent In Last Decade) There has been an increase in the use of animals in experiments, although the number of rats and mice used has decreased slightly.

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How To Write An Animal Testing Essay?

Table of Contents

Animal testing is a long-standing problem, which bothers people all around the world. It is also known as in vivo testing or animal research; it’s the use of animals in experiments to explore the reactions of their bodies and biological systems to various irritants.

From the beginning of the scientific revolution, this method was often used in medical and biological studies. However, nowadays it is also used in commercial facilities and pharmaceutical companies to test cosmetics, hygiene products, and foods before selling them to people.

Animal testing essay approaches

Basically, there are two approaches to writing essays on animal testing.

You may choose a topic that considers the historical context, as methods of testing and other aspects that don’t require your personal point of view. When writing such an essay, remember that you need to be unprejudiced and objective, to explore the topic as a scientist.

The other approach is an argumentative essay. There’s also a vast quantity of sides to choose from but you’ll need to express your point of view or compose the topic for an essay sticking to it. Here you will have to be persuasive to convince the reader in your rightness.

Position against animal testing essay

If you are an opponent to animal testing, you may want to choose the topic, that would highlight the negative sides of the issue. Here are some arguments against animal testing for you to start off:

• Experiments on animals are inhumane and cause animal suffering.
• There are different alternatives for testing, that can replace animals.
• People differ from animals. Thus, the results of animal testing might be unjustified.
• Some products that have passed animal testing were dangerous to people.
• Alternative methods of research are cheaper than animal testing.
• Lots of failed experiments are useless to expend of animals’ lives.
• Religion induces us to be merciful to all living creatures including animals.

Position pro-animal testing essay

In case you support the idea of animal testing and decided to prove that it is needed in the modern world, you’d need to be very persuasive. There are thousands of people who won’t share your opinion.

Below you can find some ideas to support animal testing:

• Animal testing produced dozens of treatments and saved millions of people’s lives.
• There still are no equivalent alternatives to test a fully functioning organism.
• Some animals are similar to the human organism.
• Animal testing prevents dangerous and harmful experiments on people.
• There’s legislation which aims to prevent animals’ mistreatment.
• The majority of scientists endorse the practice of animal testing.
• Some of the products must be first tested on animals to prove humans can use them.
• Religion establishes human domination.
• Animals’ lives is a small price for scientific and medical progress.

Ideas on animal testing essay structure

Each essay has to be well-structured and animal testing essay is not an exception. As a rule, an essay consists of three parts: introduction, main body, and conclusion.

In the introduction , you present the problem and the topic of your essay. Provide your reader with some definitions and background information for a better understanding.

In the main body , you represent all the information, ideas and statements for your topic. Don’t forget to structure the text and break it into paragraphs, this will make your essay more readable. Ideally, you write each idea or statement in the new paragraph.

The conclusion is put at the very end when everything is already said. Here you make an inference of the whole essay without adding any new information.

Here is an example of the outline for a pro-animal testing research paper:

Introduction

• Hook sentence.
• Thesis statement.
• Transition to Main Body.
• History of the animal testing practice.
• The role of legislation in preventing mistreatment.
• Great discoveries, which would be impossible without animal testing.
• Why alternatives to animal testing won’t work?
• Transition to Conclusion.
• Unexpected twist or a final argument.
• Food for thought.

Writing an animal testing essay introduction

To write a successful introduction, and the whole essay as well, you need to be aware of the topic. So first of all, you need to do a lot of research work for a good start.

Searching for some animal testing essay examples might appear to be a great idea. Once you gain some background you will surely get to know what is needed to be said.

Here are some hints on what to include in your introduction:

• Definition of animal testing.
• Statistics.
• Description of the problem.
• Experts’ point of view.
• Society’s position.
• Some catchy facts.
• Thesis statement – the main idea of your essay.

Best animal testing essay titles

Lack of ideas for a good title? Here’s a list of topics for the essay on animal testing.

Choose any. Each of them is catchy.

• Pros and cons of animal testing.
• Animal testing in cosmetics.
• Great discoveries of animal testing.
• Alternatives to animal testing.
• Animal testing in your country.
• The ethical side of animal testing.
• Positive and negative outcomes of animal testing.
• Horrors of animal testing.
• Future of animal testing.
• Animal testing and animal rights.

Crafting an animal testing essay hook

When it comes to writing, the introduction is almost a half of success. If you manage to write a good beginning, the reader will surely have a more positive vision of the whole work.

… How to grab the reader’s attention and compose a catchy beginning?

These two basic techniques are often used by speakers, but can also be applied when writing:

• Rhetorical question. Make the reader think, ask something ambiguous or nippy, like: “Is morality valuable when it comes to medical progress and saving lives?” or “Would you kill an animal with your own hands?”
• Shocking fact. Something like: “More than 100 million animals are abused and killed in the US yearly” or “88% of Nobel Prizes in Physiology and Medicine involved animal testing.

All in all, animal testing is newsworthy and up to date topic to discover and highlight. There are many aspects of the problem to explore and what is important – you can’t be right or wrong with your point of view.

This coin has two sides and it is for you to decide which one to stick to. Remember that your essay will benefit from honesty with yourself and the reader.

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Animal Testing Essay Guide + Topics

Whether you are taking a position for or against animal testing in your essay, here are some helpful hacks, tips, and tricks you can use to ace your paper.

Animal testing is a controversial issue of global scope. However, with pandemics and outbreaks being a common phenomenon and the rise of the cosmetics industry, many animals are used in scientific research. Also known as in-vivo, animal experimentation, or animal research, animal testing entails using animals in different levels of experiments to investigate the reactions, performance, and potency of various medications, drugs, cosmetic products, and foods.

Use in both biological, medical, and now beauty studies, animal testing has gained comprehensive coverage. When writing persuasive or argumentative essays, you are likely to be given an animal testing research topic for your essay. The interest of commercial bodies and pharmaceutical companies and the ethics surrounding everything that occurs around us makes writing an animal testing argumentative or persuasive essay interesting.

When we asked 100 students who had ordered custom persuasive or argumentative animal testing essays from our website, they confessed that writing the essay only seems easy at its face value. However, it becomes complicated as they plan, conduct research, and write animal research papers. Do not fear, though because, you can either get an argumentative essay expert to write your essay or a model essay for you. Alternatively, use this guide to write a paper that will check all the boxes that your professor or instructor supposes you cannot.

What to include in your introduction?

When writing an animal testing introduction, avoid wasting too many words. Instead, write an introduction that attracts your readers, piques their interest, and keeps them glued to the end. This means that you should have: (a) hook , (b)background statement (where you explore the problem at hand), and (c) your animal-testing thesis statement.

Most of the top essay writers on our website revealed that they usually search for animal testing essay examples online for inspiration : it helps get a general atmosphere surrounding a controversial topic. With such a background, they can develop a thesis statement that defines their stance and the scope of their animal research essay.

Here are some excellent ideas for your first sentence or the hook:

• Statistics of animals killed annually for research
• Facts on animals are mostly used
• The position of the society
• Catchy facts
• Controversial statements on animal research
• Shocking facts about animal testing, e.g., Surprisingly, as People for the Ethical Treatment of Animal reports, almost 100 million animals are killed in just the laboratories in the U.S. for research such as biology lessons, experimentation, food, drug, and cosmetic testing. Imagine how the statistics will skew upwards if we considered the entire world's population of animals killed every hour.
• Rhetorical questions : you use this to make the reader intrigued to read more about the topic. For example, Would you rather use a drug tested on a volunteer human or other animal-safe alternative research approaches, and one that is effective or use a drug tested on animals whose failure rate is slightly high? or Do you believe that morality should be enforced in medical research, especially when animal rights are infringed?

The background of your animal testing research paper introduction can include:

• Definition of animal testing
• The extent of animal testing.'
• The historical context of animal testing
• Breakthroughs of animal testing
• Expert opinion over animal testing
• Description of the problem
• The debate surrounding animal testing

Animal Testing Essay Outline/Structure

Your outline will depend on whether you are writing pro-animal testing or against animal testing research paper. Here is a generalized example of the outline for an animal testing essay.

A well-structured animal testing essay will automatically earn you marks. In most cases, it follows the conventional five-paragraph essay format divided into the introduction, main body, and conclusion.

The introduction and conclusion are each 10% of the word count, while the main body is 80%. You have to format your paper in APA, MLA, or Harvard format as your professor requires. To understand the formatting requirements, read the prompt and rubric of the animal testing essay keenly.

Remember to maintain a single idea per every body paragraph. That idea must reflect in the topic sentence of the paragraph to enable your audience to distinguish your major arguments.

The contents of the body paragraphs must also support the thesis. If there is a counterargument, make it known in your second last paragraph that precedes the conclusion.

Introduction

• 10% of the word count
• Begin with a stellar hook sentence
• Provide background to your chosen topic
• Have an outstanding thesis statement
• Transition to the main body of your essay
• Comprises 80% of the word count
• It can be three paragraphs for short essays or more for a long-form research paper
• Provide the history of animal testing, if necessary.
• Look at the roles of regulation and legislation in preventing animal cruelty.
• Explore the different bodies involved in preventing or lobbying against animal testing.
• Explore the breakthroughs of animal testing
• Explore the different alternatives to animal testing: why they can work or why they cannot
• Each paragraph should have its idea
• Transition to your conclusion
• Provide a summary of the paper
• Highlight your significant arguments and counterarguments
• Offer recommendations, if necessary
• Rephrase your thesis statement and show how evidence has supported it in your essay.

Alternative Methods to Animal Testing to include in your paper

Cruelty-Free International argues that non-animal testing methods are cheaper, reliable, and more effective. You can recommend some of these alternatives in your animal testing research paper or essay, considering they elongate the discussion on this seemingly controversial topic.

• Computer modeling
• Cell cultures
• Human tissues
• Volunteer studies
• Use of egg embryo
• Use of unicellular organisms
• The LAL tests
• In vitro methods

Now, when writing an argumentative essay about animal testing, especially if you take a stance against it, listing these alternatives can strengthen your arguments. Look at this model animal testing essay and craft yours along the same line.

Tips for Concluding your Animal Testing Essay

There is no different way to end an animal testing essay, as it is the same as ending any essay. Thus, when you read our cheat sheet for ending an argumentative essay , you will understand that the main thing is to have a definitive conclusion.

The conclusion is not the place to introduce new ideas. Instead, you will summarize the main points of the essay and restate the thesis in a revamped version. Show your writers the connection between your main arguments and the recommendations you are making. If there is a counterstatement, explain your rationale for it.

When writing the conclusion, make it clear, concise, and coherent. For example, an excellent animal-testing essay conclusion will have the introduction sentence, the summary of the main body, and the closing sentence.

Strive to leave your reader yearning for more : you get to tickle the best grades even from that stingy professor. Weave together the concluding paragraph with appropriate sentence transitions and do not overdo it. Keep everything simple, and you will win the main marks assigned to a reasonable conclusion.

Now that we have everything explained, we can look at some of the main topics you can use as titles for animal testing papers.

Examples of Controversial and Latest Animal Testing Essay Topics

We asked our top writers to suggest some topics they think fit well for an animal testing essay. We got a total of fifty entries that you can select and write something about. If you are stuck and want an essay sample urgently, we can write such an essay for you in a few hours, thanks to our website that helps students write essays ASAP . You can choose from these animal testing essay titles:

• Animal testing should be banned
• Animal testing is not ethical
• Pros and cons of animal testing
• Alternative methods to using animals in drugs development
• Controversy in using animal testing in medical and cosmetic research
• Neglected interests and inhuman practices during animal testing
• The cruelty of animal testing
• Horrors of animal testing
• Accidents during animal testing
• Ethics of transporting caged animals for animal research
• The future of animal testing, given the advancement in biotechnology
• Medical animal testing should be banned
• Should guinea pigs be used for lab work research?
• New, better, and innovative treatments for humanity
• Using animals in medical research is ethical and essential
• Science and the murder of one hundred million animals annually
• Importance of animals in clinical trials
• Importance of animal testing in vaccine development
• Is animal testing necessary for human survival?
• Animal testing as an experimentation industry
• Effectiveness of animal testing
• Exploring the role of Cruelty-Free International Organization
• Role of religious bodies in advocating for animal-testing-free society
• The Americans for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) organization
• Ethical issues in animal experimentation
• How animal cruelty affects the ecosystem
• Animal models in vaccine development
• Defining animal cruelty
• Treatment versus rights of animals
• Are animal model results safe for humans?
• Migraine Treatment and Animal testing
• Dinitrophenol drug for overweight and Animal testing
• Anti-arthritis Treatment and Animal Testing
• Animal use in unmanned war drones
• Positive and negative outcomes of animal testing
• Role of media in influencing animal testing
• The politics of deception in animal testing
• Problems associated with animal testing
• Animal testing should be controlled and not stopped
• Licenses that are required for one to conduct animal testing
• Role of Big Pharma in advancing animal testing.
• Can plants be used as an alternative to animal testing?
• Impacts of animal testing on ecology
• How does animal testing affect the economy?
• Can animal testing result in bioweapons?
• Use of technology to predict diseases and outcomes rather than animal testing.
• Are the rights and feelings of animals considered in animal experimentation?
• Are animals used in tests free?
• Reasons rats, rabbits, and pigs are widely used in animal testing
• Can volunteer human beings replace animals in medical research?
• The best approach to take care of animals used in experimentation
• Breakthroughs after animal testing
• Animal testing and the cosmetics industry
• History of animal testing
• Role of CDC in animal testing research
• Role of WHO on animal testing authorization

Where and how to get help with your Animal Testing Essays?

In our article, we have extensively referenced our custom essay writers who can help you ace your animal testing essays. If you feel that the guide cannot help you break down the essay or are short of time, you can pay someone on our website to write one for you. When you buy an argumentative essay from our website, we assign it to a pro writer who will research, draft, and write the paper from scratch.

Our bespoke essay service ensures that every paper is done as though you would have done it. This means that the writer cites every animal testing journal article, credible website, or relevant scholarly resources as you would have done. They do this when they summarize, paraphrase, or quote from the sources.

Therefore, you are guaranteed 100% original and plagiarism-free animal testing essays. Furthermore, whether you are for or against animal testing, we have a writer who can write your argumentative essay outline, annotated bibliography, research paper, and essay.

They can take an ethical stance or argue based on what society or professionals/experts think about the issue.

Trust us with your paper because we have done this time and again : written untraceable papers for students. Our writers are fast, accurate, respectable, and experienced. They know how to score the top grade on the rubric. All the papers we have done have been used as best argumentative essay samples on should animal testing be banned? yours could be the next one.

Are you a student with weak English and need help? Our ESL writers can craft a paper that sounds like someone who does not grasp English. Alternatively, our ENL writers also know how to tone down an English paper. After all, we serve both ESL and ENL clients. Go to our home page, click on order now, place your order and pay for it, and wait as we complete it for you.

Gradecrest is a professional writing service that provides original model papers. We offer personalized services along with research materials for assistance purposes only. All the materials from our website should be used with proper references. See our Terms of Use Page for proper details.

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Writing Animal Testing Argumentative Essay & Thesis Statement

writing animal testing essay

Animal testing is a global debate, not only in science but also in the ethical concerns of the general public. Understanding this is important in writing an animal testing argumentative essay and formulating the appropriate thesis statements and arguments.

Animal testing is the practice of using animals to conduct tests and experiments to control variables affecting both the behavior and the biological system being studied.

It is also known as Vivo testing or animal experiment and is a problem that has bothered people worldwide.

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How to Write an Animal Testing Essay?

When writing essays on animal testing, there are specific approaches that you need to consider. These approaches are:

1. Consider the Historical Context

In this approach, what you write about in your essay does not require your own point of view.

Methods of testing and other aspects of the experiment can be borrowed from different sources.

In order to write a good essay in this approach, you need not have a prior opinion or judgment before knowing the facts involved in the experiment.

You should have objectives when searching for relevant information and explore animal testing as a scientist.

2. Take one side of the Argumentative Debate

In this approach, you need to make your own point of view known and convince the reader to be in line with your essay. You can also come up with your own topic on animal testing and stick to it.

When writing an animal testing essay, there are several sides concerning animal testing that you may wish to write on. These may include;

Arguments that can be made in an essay on animal testing

This can be done by writing essays that strongly oppose animal testing. You have to choose an argument showing the bad side of animal testing.

These arguments may include the following.

• Not all testing requires the use of animals.
• Killing animals for unsuccessful experiments is inhumane.
• Products made or approved by animal testing are harmful to human beings.
• This experiment method is far more expensive than the natural one.
• Most of the testing causes animal suffering.
• Most religions are for the notion that we should take care of our animals.
• You can also support animal testing in your essay by being persuasive in your arguments that the modern-day world needs animal testing. You can choose to support your views by:
• Arguing that animal experiments prevent people from going through the experiment.
• It shows that using an animal with similar organisms to humans is preferable to the human himself.
• Arguing that successful animal testing has saved a lot of people by providing the needed treatment.
•  Proving that testing products new to humans are more dangerous than using animals.
• Arguing that scientists prefer animals in doing tests and that humans have complete authority over animals.
• You can argue that scientist sees medical progression as more important than the life of a mere animal.
• Arguing that it is very hard to find other ways of testing an organism that is fully functioning.

3. Formulate a Thesis Statement

You will need to formulate and write a good thesis statement that will present your main idea. This statement is your stand and is what will guide the writing of the animal testing essay introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusions.

How to Write an Animal Testing Thesis Statement

The sentence(s) capturing the main point or central message, in this case concerning the animal experiment topic, is a thesis statement. In order to write a good thesis statement on animal testing, you have to consider the following:

• Be specific

You need to be very specific when writing a thesis statement in your animal testing essay. Focus on the main points of discussion. Your thesis statement should not be too general.

• Announce the topic

This is a very critical aspect of a thesis statement.

This is where you should present your view and position of the animal testing issue you are writing about.

• Be original

Make sure that the thesis statement is your real work. A thesis statement plays a huge part on the reader of your text.

Do not rely on or quote the thesis statements of other peoples’ animal testing essays because the reader is likely to get uninterested.

Write a thesis statement in a language that the reader can easily understand. Avoid vague and abstract words to give the reader a clear meaning of the animal testing topic you have written about.

4. Write a Good Introduction to Animal Testing

In the introductory part of an animal testing essay, you define the topic of your essay and give any further background information related to the topic to make the reader understand better.

Apart from the definitions, you can provide statistics, describe a problem, talk about some important relative facts, and include the thesis statement, the position of the society, and the views from experts in the introduction of the animal testing essay.

A hook sentence and a sentence linking the introduction to the main body must also be in the introduction. You can check a comprehensive essay guide on writing introduction paragraphs for your essays.

5. Write Proper Body Paragraphs with Points on Animal Testing

This is where you present all the ideas and information on the topic, with each idea in its own paragraph. Ideas and information on animal testing topics may include:

• Great discoveries on the topic of study.
• What is the historical background of the animal testing topic?
• What are the effects and benefits of animal testing in detail?
• Intensive explanation of ethics that govern animal testing.

After writing down several paragraphs, make sure you include a statement that will link the body to the conclusion. This is the main part of the essay, which gives people problems.

6. Write a Good Conclusion on Animal Testing Points

This is the part where you draw deductions on the content of the essay without suggesting anything new that has not been talked about in the introduction and the body.

In this part, you write a brief summary of your work that can include a final argument, an unexpected twist related to the work written, and anything that warrants serious consideration.

Writing good conclusions is one of the challenges in writing essays , and you can check how to solve it in that article.

Once a good conclusion is done, you will be safe to proofread your paper and submit it confidently to get a good grade. Read more tips on how to write good essays on any topic in our more general guide.

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35 Topics for Writing an Animal Testing Essay

Animal testing is a broad area of study. The following are some of the 15 best topics that one can write animal testing essays about:

• The history of animal testing.
• Ethics that guide animal experiments.
• Alternatives to animal testing.
• How to take care of and use animals in animal testing?
• Advantages and disadvantages of animal testing.
• What are the best discoveries of animal testing?
• The practice of animal testing in your country.
• Comparison of animal testing in your country with neighboring countries and the world.
• The rights of animals in the context of animal testing.
• Changes in animal testing with the recent advancement of technology.
• What does the future of animal testing hold?
• Good and bad outcomes of animal testing.
• Horrors associated with animal testing.
• Relation of animal testing with cosmetics.
• Contribution of research in animal testing.

Other Good Topics for Animal Testing Essays Include

• Why animal testing should be stopped.
• Human diseases and animal testing.
• Is animal testing free from external control?
• Which animals, between vertebrates and invertebrates, are suitable for animal testing?
• The truth about animal testing.
• Should scientific reasons be the reasons for animal testing?
• What role does the media play in spreading the message about animal experimentation?
• Problems associated with animal testing.
• Do animals really have feelings?
• Can testing on plants be an alternative for animal testing?
• How can animal testing be made more animal-friendly?
• Why are rabbits and rats the most used animals in animal testing?
• Should we stop taking medicines to save animals from animal testing?
• Do scientists have an obligation to respect the animals they are experimenting on?
• How can we improve the lives of the animals that experiments are done?
• Impact of animal testing on the economy.
• What are the side effects of testing on animals?
• Is animal testing the leading creation of human viruses?
• Are there better alternatives to animal testing than animals?
• How can scientists use technology to reduce the impact of animal testing?

Check some of the recent debates and news regarding animal testing, experimenting with monkeys

With over 10 years in academia and academic assistance, Alicia Smart is the epitome of excellence in the writing industry. She is our managing editor and is in charge of the writing operations at Grade Bees.

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Animal Testing Argumentative Essay: Guidelines

How to Write a Great Animal Testing Argumentative Essay?

Animal testing sample.

According to the statistical data, testing in the US is conducted on 26 million animals. Those animals are used for research in the field of commercial products and various scientific advancements. Besides, animals are used to test the latest medical treatment, check on the toxicity of drugs, and verify the level of safety that the products aimed at people will have. Animal testing is also in demand in the commercial industry and the area of health care. Since it is an issue of intense arguments whether it is ethically correct to use the animals in experiments, an animal testing argumentative essay is among the most popular topics at schools, colleges, and universities.

The idea to use animals in experiments is not new. Actually, it is a practice that dates back to 500 BC; and even at that time, there were those who supported this idea and those who were against it. The latter claim that it is cruel and inhumane to test the products using animals, and they call for the development of the new alternative techniques which will eliminate the need for animal testing.

Such organizations as PETA campaign in order to increase the range of relevant research and make the process of developing alternative testing methods faster and more efficient. It is reasonable that an animal testing essay of a student who supports this point of view will state the requirement to alleviate testing on animals. It will also contain an argument that animal testing does not ensure absolutely valid results as tests conducted on animals are different from those done to humans; that is why the question is whether animal testing has any practical sense at all.

Good Argumentative Essay Topics

On the other hand, an argumentative essay on animal testing can be written from the point of view of the advantages of the use of animals in medicine. It is wrong to hurt living beings, but it is necessary to test the safety of new products before using them for the benefit of people. Typically, rats are the first animals used for research. In case the tests prove to be effective, monkeys are the next subjects for a series of tests. Only if these experiments are successful, the product can be given to people.

An animal testing argumentative essay always mentions the benefit of reducing the number of errors and fatal mistakes owing to a round of tests on animals. It also mentions that the number of saved people’s lives is enormous owing to the sacrificed lives of animals. Actually, there is hardly any effective alternative to animal testing. Furthermore, it is subject to following strict regulations to ensure the prevention of all kinds of animal mistreatment.

In general, the debates over the use of animals in testing for medical research testing have been historically known for centuries. After the animal testing essay introduction, it is typical to present the claims of the proponents. They imply that there is no intentional harm in animal testing; moreover, the animals are well kept, fed, and treated nicely. Besides, they state that the absence of effective alternatives makes it impossible to eliminate this practice. They also emphasize the benefit of saving lives owing to animal testing. Nevertheless, certain environmental organizations aimed at the protection of animals call for no more animals in research and testing because of the cruel and inhumane practices.

Writing an animal testing argumentative essay outline , one should take into consideration that animal testing is a matter of various discussions. Thus, it is important to choose a certain position and focus the whole assignment on this point of view. A common task for the students is to work on an argumentative paper; thus, it is essential to determine and specify a definite position and then develop a thesis statement with the supporting arguments appropriately. For instance, if you make up your mind to look at the animal testing from the angle of supporting position, it is recommended to use the following arguments or similar ones.

Writing Prompts for Animal Testing Essays

Advantages to Write About in Animal Testing Essay

It is impossible to eliminate animal testing as it saves people’s lives.

According to medical researchers, the contribution of testing on animals in the advancement of health care and medicine cannot be overestimated. It is owing to the experiments conducted on animals, people can be treated for breast cancer, tuberculosis, diabetics, malaria, brain injury, and other diseases. Physicians also emphasize the role of chimpanzees in experiments aimed at looking for treatment for Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C.

There Is No Alternative to Experimenting with Animals Because Its the Safest Testing Method Known

An animal testing essay conclusion always refers to the fact that the structure of animals’ organisms that resembles that of humans makes them the most suitable material for research in product testing in the fields of medicine and cosmetics. Animal and human bodies have identical or similar processes. There is an assumption that testing can be conducted on cell organisms, but it is doubtful that it will work, as those tissues cannot be tested for blindness or blood pressure issues.

Currently, animal testing is used as a model for computer programs that will probably substitute it in the future. The provided data prove to be accurate; however, living organisms cannot be replaced with less complex computer programs that do not ensure stimulation of the brain activity.

The Biological Similarity between Animal Species and People Is the Best

The organs of the mammals are identical to those of people; besides, there is a striking genetic closeness between them. The statistical data prove that the genetic similarity between the people and mammals can be up to 98%. Animals have the same bloodstream and central nervous systems with humans; that is why the susceptibility to diseases of both of them is similar.

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Ethical Side of Animal Testing

Each essay about animal testing contains an argument about checking of medical treatment for toxicity during the animal testing procedures. It is against all ethical norms to test a new medicine on people and risk their lives. Helsinki Medical Association claims that animal testing should always go before human experiments

Additional Benefits for Animals

As a result of vaccine testing on animals, not only people but animals are saved from terminal diseases. Besides, the development of new medical products contributes to the prevention of species extinction.

Animal Testing Has the Strict Regulations

Various animal testing essay examples demonstrate that there are strict regulations for experimenting with animals nowadays. A topical issue of present-day life is the protection of animal rights, and numerous organizations control the situation. It is important to make sure that there is neither violation of animal rights not the suffering of animals from abuse.

Further Advantages of Animal Testing

The life cycles of animals are shorter than those of people; thus, the experiments on them are more reasonable than those on humans. It is possible to observe all consequences and effects of certain drugs owing to short life cycles in the course of several years or even months.

Animal Testing Implies Humane Treatment

Some students even use the fact of humane treatment of animals in the animal testing essay title. Researchers always take into account the conditions and consequences of experiments and care about animals.

Disadvantages to Write About in Animal Testing Essay

A variety of animal testing essay topics implies considering different opinions of the pros and cons of those experiments. It is important to ensure the presence of alternative ideas to prevent all kinds of bias and ensure having different perspectives on the same issue.

Human societies have always been oriented at innovation and adaptability as desired features. On the other hand, old practices have the tendency of being kept by the researchers and organizations for a number of reasons. In an animal testing argumentative essay, the aspects should be explored in detail.

First of all, let us talk about the benefits.

Ethics in Animal Testing

If the essay is written in support of animal testing, this is one of the easiest points. Animals used for testing lack moral capabilities and conscious mind despite having their DNA equal to the human one in 98 %. A good animal testing essay title always mentions this somehow. Nevertheless, animals suffer and their agony can lead to death in some serious cases.

Try to explore the issues philosophically. Touch upon attributing value to people and animals. Mention the patients with mental illnesses who have no morality or consciousness. Consider the appropriateness of experimenting on such people along with the animals.

An efficient animal testing pros and cons essay should be based on a broad topic and numerous implications for analysis.

Availability of Alternatives

The progress cannot be stopped in the present-day world. It is normal now to get rid of outdated things and introduce innovations. In a perfect why animal testing should be banned essay, try to note that there are and there will be other ways to experiment on new products. For example, it is possible to cultivate human cells and do organ replication in the laboratories to use the obtained organs for testing of biological processes.

Right, all challenges in modern research cannot be addressed via cell testing; besides, the immune system, endocrine system, blood pressure issues and other aspects of the human body cannot be analyzed using cells. On the other hand, testing practices in the laboratories can substitute some animal alternatives, if possible.

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Reduction, Refinement, and Replacement

The mentioned three RRRs (reduction, refinement, and replacement) represent a plan developed by numerous countries to ensure the decrease in the testing with the use of animals. A cosmetic animal testing essay should contain this argument for explanations of why it is important to eradicate the common practice.

• What is the reduction ?

It is the minimization of the animal testing practice by research centers, laboratories, and companies, and regulation of the affected living creatures via introducing innovative practices and improving the experimental techniques.

• What is refinement ?

It is changing the lives of tested animals, ensuring good living conditions, the introduction of obligatory anesthesia, and the provision of necessary medical treatment.

• What is the replacement ?

It is a procedure of transition to innovative methods of conducting experiments with the use of computers, cell culture, micro-dosing by volunteers, human tissue tissues, and other methods.

Overrating of the Contribution

An argument that animal testing should be illegal is used by numerous researchers against the current testing practices. The supporters of the theory cite examples to prove the inevitability of animal experiments for the progress of humans. Nevertheless, it is complicated to make a prediction on how the discoveries can be made without animal testing, but the ideas of progress cannot be based on outdated practices.

It cannot be denied that the development of insulin was made owing to the dogs that had pancreases injected. On the other hand, a medical student from Germany, Paul Langerhans, saw the strange pancreatic tissue cells and encouraged Frederick Banting to make a discovery without any animal testing. Thus, there is a question of whether the disadvantages of animal testing outweigh the benefits obtained. The use of dogs sped up the process but kills many innocent animals. Insulin helped many people survive, but it is complicated to determine how the studies will be affected by animal testing results.

Insufficient Reliability

The efficiency of the animal tests on people is 95% because of the 2% genome divergence between animals and people. The European Union banned the use of animals in testing cosmetics for two reasons. Firstly, the eyes of humans are less sensitive than the eyes of rats and some other animals, thus the experiment results are unreliable. Secondly, other alternatives, for example, tissue testing, can be more effective.

Some researchers claim that animal testing should be allowed, but insufficient reliability may result in tragedies. For instance, tension, anxiety, and insomnia were treated with thalidomide medication in West Germany, and in 1957, as many as 5,000 infants died, and many lost sights, hearing or suffered severe deformities. It is not always right to use the products suitable for animals on humans. Another example is Rezulin that was a trigger of liver failure in people but treated rats with diabetes type 2 perfectly.

High Price of Animal Tests

It is common to pay no attention to this fact. It is assumed that more innovative technology will be even more expensive; however, progress always implies durability, and that should be noted. Financial losses are huge even for common dissection classes. Reliable results require numerous life forms, but computer models can use the required data for analysis in a different way.

Leaving out the Rights

The governments adopted a number of regulations in different countries of the world to ensure the protection of animals’ rights; however, it is a common practice to forget about the animals used for testing when it goes about laws.

Thinking about a good title for an essay on animal testing for medical purposes, do not forget to take into consideration this debatable point. How can it happen that the Animal Welfare Act omits fish, mice, and rats? The researchers are allowed to treat those animals in the way they need for their experiments. Try to explore how moral this situation is.

Global Progress

Your essay should emphasize the crucial importance of certain practices and lack of alternatives; however, it is also essential to touch upon the better options, available now o expected in the future. Every year, the development of technologies causes the emergence of new experimenting methods, making science more efficient and more humane. Mention the subjective opinions of the researchers and limitations of the control samples when talking about animal testing. On the other hand, note the advantages of new computer models that avoid bias and manipulation of data. Animals are less close to people than in cell cultures. All in all, it is more ethical to try alternative testing techniques as they not only protect the animals but also increase the efficiency of science.

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How to Write an Animal Testing Essay: Tips for Argumentative & Persuasive Papers

• 🦮 Things to Know About Animal Rights Essay

📜 Animal Testing Argumentative Essay

🗣️ animal testing persuasive essay.

• ⚖️ Animal Testing For & Against Arguments
• 🦥 Animal testing Essay Sample
• 🐾 15 Awesome Titles for Animal Testing Essay

🦮 Animal Rights Essay Writing Guide

Here’s an introduction to animal testing essay writing. This topic is full of controversies and nuances that you need to know.

1. Animal Testing Essay Challenges

It might seem complicated to stay professional while writing about a sensitive topic. What should you consider before you start to write an animal testing essay?

Be ready to:

• Provide trustworthy facts and numbers. As this topic is debatable, you need to choose scientific data sources. All the evidence that supports your thesis should be credible and accurate.
• Keep your writing ethical. Avoid using biased information, overly emotional language, and stereotypes. Instead, use inclusive language without ambiguous interpretations.
• Regard an opposite opinion. It is essential to understand the issue from different perspectives. Include an opposing point of view to show your competence and the depth of your research.
• Overcome a moral dilemma. There is a lot to debate about animal testing, and you might not find a perfect solution. Therefore, be prepared to find the middle ground.
• Keep up with the scientific progress. As so much research constantly updates, you need to be aware of the last changes. It will help you to include only relevant data in your paper.

2. Animal Testing Essay Tips

Here are some tips to make your writing experience easier:

• Use academic research databases to look for evidence.
• Study the background and the development of the issue.
• Don’t hesitate to verify your data using other publications.
• Be objective when providing your arguments and evidence.
• Create an outline before writing your first draft.
• Create several versions of your essay to select the best one.
• Read papers that cover the same topic.
• Study the opposite point of view.
• Spend some extra time on proofreading and editing.

3. Animal Testing Essay Strategies: Argumentative Vs. Persuasive

Argumentative and persuasive essays on animal testing might seem somewhat similar. Here, we will describe the differences between these two types.

Argumentative Essay

An argumentative essay’s primary purpose is to convince the audience that your position is valid and worth attention.

• It requires profound research. You need to study the terminology and updates while exploring the issue.
• Its main bases are logic and evidence. Avoid emotional appeals even if they make your arguments sound stronger.
• It implies research of both sides. You will need to include an opposing argument and show its relevance.

Persuasive Essay

A persuasive essay convinces its audience using both facts and emotional response of the readers to prove one’s opinion.

• It is less formal. The tone is more relaxed. Choose facts that instantly appeal to your audience.
• Its primary basis is opinion. You will rely on the choice of words and strong arguments rather than on evidence.
• It focuses on one perspective. You have to convince readers that your way of thinking is the only option. Reviewing other positions is optional.

Now that you know the differences, we will look at each type. Here, we will explain how to prepare for writing and create an animal-testing argumentative essay outline.

What Is Animal Testing Argumentative Essay About?

An animal testing argumentative essay discusses the pros and cons of animal testing giving preference to one of the sides. You should state whether animal testing is necessary in your thesis and provide at least two arguments to support your claim. Then you will need to include at least one counterargument to show another perspective.

Animal Testing Argumentative Essay Outline

There are several types of organization for an argumentative essay: classical, Rogerian, and Toulmin. Rogerian is the most suitable one for this topic. This type of organization requires drawing attention to different opinions while promoting your arguments.

3 Tips for Animal Testing Argumentative Essay

Follow these tips to make your essay better:

• Choose an arguable topic. Something that is not obvious. It should puzzle your readers and make them interested in what you say.
• Stick to your thesis. It is the basis of your paper. You need to support every word of your thesis in body paragraphs.
• Think about your audience. Knowing who your readers are will help you choose the writing tone. It also determines the need for more or fewer explanations and background information.

Here is another pattern for developing your animal rights essay . Read the paragraph below to figure out how to write an excellent animal testing persuasive essay.

What Is Animal Testing Persuasive Essay About?

An animal testing persuasive essay is focused on one side of the issue. Here, you choose if you are for or against animal testing and prove your opinion. Appealing to conscience, sense of intelligence, or your readers’ emotions is your best instrument. You need to sound convincing to make your audience accept your perspective.

Animal Testing Persuasive Essay Outline

In this case, you need to focus on solid arguments supporting your viewpoint. It will determine the way your audience reacts to your writing.

3 Tips for Animal Testing Persuasive Essay

What do you need to do to write a better persuasive essay?

• Show your empathy. It will affect your readers’ experiences and create an emotional bond between you.
• Repeat yourself. Work with paraphrasing and figures of speech. Strategic repetition is an effective tool to remind your readers about the message you are trying to convey.
• Use rhetorical questions. Puzzle your audience by asking them something controversial. At the same time, your argumentation should promote your position as an answer.

⚖️ Animal Testing Essay: For & Against

Here, you will find the pros and cons of animal testing . You can use these arguments in argumentative and persuasive essays.

I. Arguments FOR Animal Testing

Here is why animal testing should be allowed:

• Many life-saving medicines rely on animal testing . According to the California Biomedical Association, animal research helped almost every medical breakthrough in the last century . Millions of human lives depend on animal testing. It helps treat breast cancer, tuberculosis, leukemia, and many others.
• There is no alternative to testing vaccines . Scientists needed animal testing to ensure that a vaccine doesn’t make a virus more dangerous. During the global pandemic of 2020, researchers used genetically modified mice to develop vaccines. There was no other way to ensure people’s safety.
• Animal testing prevents risking lives of human volunteers . If we test medicine or cosmetical products on toxicity, we can’t use people. Human trials also possess risks of side effects, but it could be worse without animal testing.
• It ensures the safety of the products we use . China does not even allow to put cosmetical products on the market before animal testing. We use more and more cosmetical products every day. There are more and more of them on the market. That is why we need to ensure that every product we use is safe for us.
• We need animal testing to make drugs for animals as well . Scientists use animal testing to develop medicines, vaccines, and medical devices.

II. Arguments AGAINST Animal Testing

The reasons why animal testing should be stopped:

• Not all of the testing results apply to people . Many anatomic, cellular, and metabolic differences make animals poor models for us. So some drugs that pass animal testing can eventually fail on people.
• There are alternative testing methods . Skin-producing technologies such as tissue bioprinting and human skin cells growth can replace animal testing. Of course, it is not possible for all the products, but these technologies can significantly reduce the use of animals.
• It does not guarantee 100% safety . Human bodies might react differently to the same ingredients. When drugs do not show any side effects or harmful consequences on animals, they still might be dangerous for humans.
• The demand for cruelty-free products increases . People know about the inhumanity of animal testing and choose to buy cruelty-free products. Politicians are also concerned and take measures against animal testing. European Union, Australia, and South Korea banned cosmetics tested on animals. That is why cosmetical brands give up animal testing and switch to other options.
• Inhumane treatment and bad conditions . Animals suffer from food and water deprivation, inflicted burns and other wounds, and CO2 asphyxiation. Also, many of them have their eyes open for hours to test cosmetic products. Animals deserve ethical treatment as they cannot protect themselves from humans.

🦥 Animal Testing Essay Sample

Read an animal testing argumentative essay example below. You can use it as a reference to your writing.

Should Animal Testing Be Banned Essay

As technological progress moves on, we need to move on too. Some practices that were considered normal should be reviewed in the 21st century. We need to choose animal welfare and moral standards over inhumanity. Animal testing should be banned because it is cruel, expensive, and inefficient.

Animals suffer when scientists use them as test models. Some live in small cages and do not have enough space for motion. Others are forced to eat or drink something unnatural for them. It is common for animals to experience pain because of skin and eye burns, itching, or other side effects in the worst cases. For example, during the Draize test, researchers put chemicals into rabbits' eyes to see the reaction.

Keeping and breeding animals need money. It implies costs for space, food, and other maintenance expenses. As animal tests are not always reliable and need several attempts, the price for developing a successful drug can exceed one billion dollars. Every time you buy a pill or a cosmetic product tested on animals, you pay for animal testing.

Animal testing does not guarantee identical results for humans in most cases. The failure rate for animal testing is higher than 95%. There are also many controversies because the reactions of animals and people to certain ingredients can be opposite. For example, penicillin can kill guinea pigs but helps people. Aspirin is dangerous for pets but relieves human headaches.

To put it all together, animal testing is immoral in the 21st century. It is inhuman, not accurate, and pricey to the companies. It would be better if they invested the money in new technologies to replace animal experimentation. All in all, we pay for these products as customers. We have a right to choose whether or not we want them to be tested on animals.

🐾 Titles for Animal Testing Essay

Last but not least. Below we’ve collected some of our best animal testing essay examples. Use them for inspiration, or try our free research title generator .

• Is Animal Testing Really Needed?
• Animals in Research, Education, and Teaching.
• Animal Experiments: Benefits, Ethics, and Defenders.
• Animal Experimentation: Justification Arguments.
• Animal Testing Ban: Counterargument and Rebuttal.
• Genetically Modified Animals and Implications.
• Animal Research, Its Ineffectiveness, and Amorality.
• Equal Consideration of Interests to Animals.
• The Ethics of Animal Use in Scientific Research.
• Debates of Using Animals in Scientific Analysis.
• Animal Testing in Scientific Experiments.
• Cosmetic and Medical Animal Testing.
• Pavlov’s Dog Experiment.
• Animal Testing for Medical Purposes .
• Duties to Non-Human Animals .
• Animal Testing in Biomedical Research .
• Animal-Based Therapy Overview and Analysis .
• Qualities That Humans and Animals Share .
• Effects of Animal Companions in Psychotherapy .
• Red Fluorescent Protein Transgenic Dogs Experiment .
• The Use of Animals for Research .
• Human and Animal Experiments in Psychology Studies: Implications for Society .
• Animal Studies: The Role in Behaviorism Development .

🔗 References

• Suggestions for Developing Argumentative Essays
• 8 Persuasive Writing Tips and Techniques
• Animal Testing – Pros & Cons – ProCon.org
• The Debate on Animal Experimentation – Sather Health
• Importance of Animals in Human Lives | Sciencing
• Are There Any Benefits to Animal Testing? Get the Facts | PETA

Research Paper Analysis: How to Analyze a Research Article + Example

Film analysis: example, format, and outline + topics & prompts.

Animal Testing - Free Essay Samples And Topic Ideas

Animal testing, the use of non-human animals in experiments to assess the safety and efficacy of substances, evokes strong ethical debates. Essays on animal testing could explore the scientific, ethical, and legal aspects surrounding this practice. Discussions might delve into the necessity, alternatives, and the rights of animals versus the benefits to humanity. Moreover, analyzing the historical evolution of animal testing, the regulations governing it, and the public opinion and activism surrounding animal testing can provide a comprehensive understanding of the multifaceted issues involved in this contentious practice. A substantial compilation of free essay instances related to Animal Testing you can find at PapersOwl Website. You can use our samples for inspiration to write your own essay, research paper, or just to explore a new topic for yourself.

Animal Testing should be Banned

Many organizations are debating whether animal testing ought to be banned in the U. S. Some believe that animal testing ought to be done. At the same time, others believe that animal testing is completely wrong. Some experts believe that other options can be available instead of doing the test on animals. Using animals to test the safety of certain products and for medical research purposes is wrong, and it should be made a point that the pain and suffering […]

Animal Testing: is it Ethical?

Animals being sacred gifts given to us, they are the best part of our lives and provide us with a special way of love. They do nothing but bring joy and happiness to us. My whole life I've grown up with all different kinds of animals. I've had a dog named Shelby, two cats Ruby and Smokey, a bird named Cheeks, two hamsters Bernard and Sandy, and I currently have a dog named Rocky and a rabbit named Daisy. I […]

Types of Animal Cruelty

The definition of animal cruelty varies from person to person and although it is talked about occasionally, many people tend to downplay the seriousness of it. Animal abuse comes in many forms such as scientific research, abandonment, mistreatment, and so on. The experimentation and cruelty committed should be banned because animals share the same basic rights as humans. Without a doubt, mistreatment of animals is the most common form of animal cruelty. It comes in many forms which are: animal […]

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Animal Testing is Unethical, Unreliable and Unnecessary

Every year, 100 million animals sit in U.S laboratories caged and waiting to be burned, abused, and infected (Madhusree 1). The test subjects have few rights, protective services, or liberties. The pictures of restrained tormented animals are hidden in a veil of secrecy amongst red lipsticks, sweetener packets, and paints. What the world desires carries a secret pain, and comes at a cost that often goes unnoticed. Despite the scientific advancements achieved through animal testing, scientists should resort to alternative […]

Pros and Cons of Animal Testing

Aside from what anyone thinks animal testing does has positives, although some might argue that they don't outweigh the negatives. Testing on a living organism could be more accurate than a small percentage of alternatives. It also gave us a much better understanding of our own anatomy considering before we tested on animals we thought our lungs pumped our blood throughout our body(Animal Experimentation). Also animal testing has given us an insight on the effectiveness of medications developed to combat […]

Reasons of Animal Cruelty

"The Humane Society of the United States estimates that nearly 1 million animals a year are abused or killed in episodes of domestic violence" (Rajewski). Animal abuse is referred to as an act of intentional mistreatment against animals and is inflicted by humans for reasons other than survival or self-defense. The topic of animal cruelty has been debated for an extremely long time, but nothing has changed for the past decade, and people continue to use violence against animals. It […]

Animal Testing in Medical and Cosmetic Research

Every year there is less and less animal testing done in both medical and cosmetic research. There are plenty of reasons as to why animal testing has been proven to be effective in research experiments. While the beginnings of animal testing were not entirely reassuring of its tactics in the process of testing . However with the time animal testing has been around, it has greatly improved with the advancement of regulations and technology put towards animal testing. Therefore, animal […]

The Controversy of Animal Testing

Imagine a cute white little bunny. You couldn't even fathom harming this creature, could you? However, every day bunnies, like the one you imagined, are used in trials where they are harmed. I'm sure you've heard of companies claiming that they are cruelty free or don't support animal testing , but are you aware of what animal testing really is and what the animals endure during their trials? Companies every day torture animals in tests that don't always prove to […]

The Definition of Animal Cruelty

The definition of animal cruelty is the infliction by omission or by commission by humans of suffering or harm upon any non-human. A car like any other is driving down the street, rain pounding on the windshield. The girl in the passenger seat sees a dark blur on the side of the road. She focuses on it, and sees a soaked dog, whose fur is severely matted, and covered in mud. Its tail had no wag, and it was so […]

Medical Animal Testing should be Banned

Medical animal testing should be banned for there being other humane testing methods that exist. Because there are other alternatives that would replace or relieve animal testing, the use of animals would decrease dramatically. An example of a company who believes in an alternative to animal testing is Procter & Gamble Co. or P&G. Every year they spend $4.5 million on research that advances alternatives to animal testing. Though these alternatives may not replace all animal testing; but, it would […]

Problems with Animal Testing: Inhumane Practices and Neglected Interests

Abstract The Animal Welfare Act (AWA), enacted in August 1966, regulates the treatment and care of animals in research (Murnaghan 4). However, researchers annually exploit approximately 26 million animals for scientific and commercial testing in the United States (The Flaws and Human Harms ). These exploitations occur while developing medical treatments, determining toxicity levels in medicine, and ensuring the safety of cosmetic products prior to human utilization. While conducting a study on animal welfare, the United States Department of Agriculture […]

The Ethics of Animal Experimentation

1. Background Information 2.1 What is animal testing? An animal test is any scientific experiment or test in which a animal is forced to undergo something that is likely to cause them pain, suffering, distress or lasting damage. In animal experiments, animals would be injected or feed with probably harmful substances, exposed to radiation and forced to inhale toxic gases. Also, the lab resistant may surgically removing animals' organs or tissues to deliberately cause damage and subjecting animals to frightening […]

The Animal Testing and Experimentation Industry

Companies test their products on animals for the benefits of their own profit. Animals are treated harshly during this process. Most product consumers are unaware of the actions these companies are making. People continue to buy these products, probably unaware of the conditions the animals are under. With the revision and production of new items, animals continue to be used for the benefit of these companies. Animals are often tested for cosmetics, medications, and other daily uses. The animals are […]

The Cruelty in Animal Testing

Every year in the United States, it is estimated that tens of millions of animals are used for research and testing purposes (Animal Experimentation 50). These animals are usually mice, rats, rabbits, fish, guinea pigs, non-human primates, and other farm animals. Test animals undergo testing for cosmetics and household products, trials for new medicines, and scientific experiments. These tests and experiments are uncomfortable and often painful for the animals. The United States has laws to protect animals, but there are […]

Opposing Views Animal Testing

The United Nations guarantees a Universal Declaration of Human Rights that asserts that everyone has got a right to liberty, life and also security. Despite that, the declaration protects human beings from cruel treatment, slavery and eventually torture. These rights are considered to be inherent according to the law of land. There has been always a debate on whether animals have got moral rights that should be recognized as well as protected by the human society. In the actual sense, […]

Animal Testing and its Importance

From over-the-counter medicine to the shampoo we use, it's easy to forget how relatively easy our lives have become with the many commodities available to us today. What we do not often consider is how these privileges came to be. What we do not think about is the prevalence of animal testing behind many necessary medicines and products. While controversial, the age-old practice of using animals for scientific and commercial testing has no doubt made many invaluable contributions to our […]

New and Safe Treatments for Humanity

Animal testing has long been a means to discover new and safe treatments for humanity. Modern medicines and innovations are constantly being created and updated, creating an ongoing need for ways to test them. There have been many different methods of testing throughout history. By the Roman era, dissection and vivisection (the dissection of live animals) were established scientific practices (Fellenz 72). That was a more official part of animal testing history. Although not technically experimenting, people learned how animal […]

Effectiveness of Animal Testing

For Centuries animals have been tested on for research all across the globe. These animals can range from elephants to mice and can have an age range from new-borne to oldest surviving. The oldest form of animal testing has been dated back to around 199-217 AD. That's before the time of some of the earths early great scientists and researchers like Aristotle and Erasistratus. It is still as important today because of how much information we can actually gain from […]

Cruelty to Animals and Animal Testing

Animal cruelty can be defined in many ways: Being violent to animals in any way, failure to provide for animals, being neglectful to animals. Also causing animals psychological harm in the form of distress, torment or terror may also constitute animal cruelty (RSPCA). For example when picking out eyeliner or other makeup products, do people stop to see at the stores what kind of makeup they are buying and using? People could be supporting animal testing and cruelty and not […]

Support of Animal Testing

The arguments of those who support animal testing are understandable in certain situations, and, in these situation the views are valid and their views ought to be respected. And although there are downsides to animal testing and experimenting there's upsides as well. At the cost of an animal's life or comfortably humans lives will be saved or given an increased quality of life. In the nineteenth century, physicians could do very little to treat heart disease, because there was no […]

Alternatives to Animal Testing: a Glimpse into the Innovative and Compassionate Future of Scientific Research

Let's chat about something. You’ve probably heard whispers of testing stuff on animals. Whether you're in camp "necessary evil" or team "save the bunnies," there's some pretty snazzy news. We've got alternative methods bubbling up, blowing our minds. Scientists have found a way to grow miniature human organs in labs. Imagine a teensy liver or a bite-sized brain being used to check if that new face cream is safe. It’s all about getting results without making Fido or Thumper shed […]

Using Animals for Medical Testing is both Ethical and Essential?

In this Argumentative essay I have chosen to talk about Animal testing and why I think it is needed in today's work of medicines and cures. I will be given you four main facts on why I believe it is still very helpful to us humans and even helpful to the animals themselves. Honestly speaking people have become so sensitive in today's environments about many things like animal feelings, or they think like us humans. They truly forgotten that these […]

The Importance of Animal Models in Vaccines

If you have ever taken any type of medicine or had a vaccine, you have benefited from animal testing: Research with animals led to vaccinations against smallpox, measles, mumps, and tetanus. The world's first vaccine was tested on a cow in 1796 during the observation of milkmaids who caught cowpox , which is now called smallpox, from infected cow utters. This disease was eradicated in 1980 with the help of lab animals. Looking at the more frequent viruses in our […]

Animal Rights and Society

2. Background information 2.1 What is animal testing Animal testing is different experiments, researches that carried out on the animals. Different animals are used in different test, e.g. mice, rabbits, pigs. Those animals are used to check the safety and assess the effectiveness of the products that for human use, e.g. medicine, food, cosmetics. It's also used to understand how well the product works on human body. However, all of those tests may harm to animals and cause them physical […]

The Americans for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals ASPCA

Introduction Service learning and community partnership incorporates academic learning into service projects that becomes more common and popular in today's community. What it does is teaches us about the history and needs of the agency being helped as well as seeing positive changes that their involvement makes. Just by incorporating different aspects of learning into community service, we can become invested in their work and more likely to stay committed to the cause. The cause of the agency is to […]

Animal Research for Human Benefit is Unnecessary

Most people believe animal testing is essential to drug and vaccine research. Which is true, in a sense, because scientist have come up with a lot of vaccines for certain viruses. However, during the process, animals are treated poorly and their cages are in awful conditions. Most of the chemicals being administered into these patients are not safe for them, which sometimes results in death. Not only that, animals cannot comprehend what humans can. They cannot speak for themselves. These […]

The Study on Animal Experimentation

Animal testing has been a severe problem that still has not been resolved. Animal testing should be stopped for the safety of animals and human, but since it cannot be, how can it be improved? Many scientists rely on animal testing to collect data on safety and efficacy from experiments. They use animals to test products like food, drugs, cosmetics, medicines, and chemicals. They use animals because animals serve to protect consumers, workers and the environment from the harmful effects […]

Vaccine Development

The conversation of animal testing has never been anything less than controversial. Although animal testing is not new, the topic still faces severe criticism by several animal activists' groups. Humans have used animals as a means to learn about various subjects for a while now. It dates back to uses from Greek-physician scientists ""such as Aristotle, 384 “ 322 BC and Erasistratus, 304 “ 258 BC (Hajar 1). During these experiments' scientists would use live animals as their test subjects. […]

What is Animal Cruelty?

Animal cruelty is the act of humans inflicting harm and suffering onto an animal. This can include neglect, animal fighting, and overt abuse. In the United States, an animal is abused every ten seconds. Animal protection organizations are working to stop animal cruelty everywhere. Many of these organizations believe in animal rights and animal welfare. Animal rights activists usually go to the extremes, and will even break laws to make a statement to the public. One point of contention for […]

Ethical Issues in Animal Experimentation

There is of course the huge ethical consequence that comes from testing on animals. It is also super expensive to actually test on animals and some of the information from the tests don't give accurate results for us. Animals are different from humans everyone knows that. That's money, manpower and time going to waste. It's also very expensive compared to other options that are out or already developed. The cost of animal testing is enormous and doesn't always yield results. […]

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How To Write an Essay About Animal Testing

Introduction to the topic of animal testing.

When embarking on an essay about animal testing, it is essential to begin by defining what animal testing encompasses and the contexts in which it is used. This includes its application in medical research, cosmetics testing, and other scientific endeavors. In your introduction, outline the scope of the debate, which often centers around ethical considerations, scientific necessity, and the pursuit of medical advancements. Acknowledge the complexity of the topic, which involves balancing the welfare of animals with potential human benefits. This introductory section should set the stage for a thoughtful exploration of the multifaceted issues surrounding animal testing.

Delving into Ethical and Scientific Perspectives

The body of your essay should delve into the various ethical and scientific perspectives surrounding animal testing. One key aspect to explore is the ethical debate, which includes arguments about animal rights, suffering, and the moral implications of using animals for human benefit. On the scientific side, discuss the role of animal testing in medical breakthroughs and the question of its necessity and effectiveness. It's important to consider both sides of the argument, providing a balanced view that includes the advancements made possible by animal testing, as well as the ethical dilemmas it raises. Use evidence such as scientific data, ethical theories, and regulatory policies to support your points.

Analyzing Alternatives and Societal Impacts

In this section, focus on the alternatives to animal testing and the potential impacts of these methods on society and scientific research. Discuss advancements in technology, such as computer modeling and cell-based assays, and how they offer potential replacements or reductions in animal use. Analyze how these alternatives could change the landscape of research and testing, considering both the benefits and limitations. Also, consider the societal implications of animal testing, including public opinion, regulatory changes, and the role of advocacy groups. This part of your essay should highlight the evolving nature of the debate and the future possibilities for both scientific research and animal welfare.

Concluding the Discussion

Conclude your essay by summarizing the main arguments and reflecting on the ongoing debate surrounding animal testing. This is an opportunity to reiterate the complexity of the issue and the importance of continuing to balance ethical considerations with scientific progress. Consider the future of animal testing and the role of evolving ethical standards and scientific advancements in shaping this area. A strong conclusion will not only wrap up your essay but also encourage further thought and discussion about the ethical and scientific dimensions of animal testing.

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Home — Essay Samples — Social Issues — Animal Rights — Persuasive Speech On Animal Testing

Persuasive Speech on Animal Testing

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Published: Mar 13, 2024

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Proponents of animal testing, opponents of animal testing, alternatives to animal testing, scientific arguments against animal testing.

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Animal Testing: History and Arguments Essay

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In general, animal testing is allowed all over the world. Some countries impose certain restrictions on that matter, some – do not introduce any restrictions at all. However, even those countries that have certain laws prohibiting tests on animals do not take into account the fact that animals are living creatures and must not suffer for the sake of an experiment. Moreover, in most facilities and laboratories, animals are kept in cages, thereby having absolutely no freedom. Most of the experiments performed on animals bring them suffering, lead to disability, and even death. This inhumane treatment of animals does not justify any cause (Haugen, 2000). Thus, the main reason why these experiments must be stopped is that, according to the statistics, the majority of them are ineffective and inaccurate.

History of Animal Testing

Animal testing has a long history. Considering the fact that animals are living creatures, medical experiments on them were already conducted at least three thousand years ago. The first records mentioning the experiments on animals date back to the fourth century BCE in Ancient Greece (Murnaghan, 2017). Thus, in ancient times, it was a widely adopted practice to perform dissections of animals in order to understand how to make surgical operations on humans.

Since the 18 th century, with the development of medicine, the frequency of animal testing has significantly increased. Moreover, if a couple of centuries ago, there were only single experiments that were performed by separate scientists, now, it has developed into the large industry that catches animals in the wild and uses them as guinea pigs (Scutti, 2013). Thus, although there are many innovative technologies that can serve as better alternatives to animal testing, people are still reluctant to change the current state of affairs.

Despite animal testing being rather an old practice, ethical considerations on that matter also occurred quite a long time ago (Scutti, 2013). For example, in the 17 th century, a psychologist Edmund O’Meara stated that animal testing was unnecessary, as it often gave inaccurate results. In this respect, he provided an example regarding vivisection that, as he claimed, placed the body of an animal in an unnatural state, in which it endured a lot of pain that was both cruel and gave false results.

The first animal protection law was established in Great Britain in 1822. A significant milestone in the history of animal protection legislation was the introduction of the Cruelty to Animals Act in 1876 in Great Britain. This law was promoted by Charles Darwin who, despite being a biologist and a scientist, was against vivisection. In the 1860s, the movements against animal testing occurred in the USA. As a result, Henry Bergh established the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) in 1866. After that, the American Anti-Vivisection Society (AAVS) was founded in 1883 (Haugen, 2000). Thus, the end of the 19 th century was the time when many articles were written, and campaigns were started calling for terminating the experiments on animals.

However, at the beginning of the 20 th century, the tendency of releasing laws about animal protection changed. Unfortunately, the efforts of antivivisectionists to promote their campaigns to make the US government to ban animal testing failed due to the overall support of such experiments by the public, which was assured by the organizations who performed these experiments that animals were kept in good conditions, bred well, and injected with anaesthetics in those operations that could cause them much pain. Therefore, only in the 1960s, the efforts of antivivisectionists were partially justified, with the release of the Laboratory Animal Welfare Act in 1966 (Haugen, 2000). Nevertheless, that law was more focused on the welfare of animals in laboratories rather than on the prohibition of animal testing.

Nowadays, there are a great number of organizations that advocate for stopping using animals in the experiments. Although the overall effectiveness of their campaigns is quite low, they have managed to achieve some positive results concerning the problem of animal testing (Murnaghan, 2017). Additionally, considering the current tendency of the active development of various technologies that can easily substitute experiments on animals, there is hope that soon the animal testing industry will cease to exist.

Animal Testing Is Cruel

The first argument against animal testing is that it is simply cruel. People must understand that animals are the same living creature as them and can feel both psychological and physical pain in the same way as humans. Thus, in the case of experimenting on animals, the ethical and humane aspects of the issue must prevail and give people a stimulus to seek for other ways of studying diseases that can be much better.

Animal Testing and Its Types

First of all, it is necessary to describe the types of animal testing in order to understand the degree of the cruelty of these experiments. In general, animal testing is the process of experimenting on animals where they usually undergo various medical procedures which cause them suffering or even death. These experiments are usually aimed at finding a cure to some disease that humans and certain animals have in common or at exploring how a biological organism works. During the experiments, scientists usually keep animals in cages and use them in laboratories where they harm them on purpose (“What is animal testing,” 2016). Moreover, there are certain kinds of experiments that cause animals a lot of pain, and, in many of them, animals die.

The most common type of an experiment on animals is feeding them with certain substances and injecting them with experimental medications. After the procedure is completed, scientists observe the effects that these substances have caused. In fact, the result is often unpredictable, and animals can die a horrible death with much pain. Another type of experiments is exposing animals to toxic substances and radiation. These experiments are primarily aimed at discovering the effects that radiation and certain chemicals can have on a biological body. Similarly, such experiments make animals suffer (“What is animal testing,” 2016). Moreover, if animals survive after such experiments, the damage that radiation and chemicals have caused to them is often permanent, and they will live the rest of their lives suffering.

One more type of experiments on animals is dissecting animals while they are still alive. Certainly, during this operation, they are under anesthetics, but it does not justify the result that they get after the procedure is completed. The main reason for these experiments is to find out how the internal parts of the biological body work. This operation usually involves removing internal organs, pumping out blood, and excising parts of tissues, which makes animals cripples afterwards. Additionally, there is one more type of an experiment that is usually practiced in laboratories. This is a psychological experiment that involves placing animals in situations and conditions which cause them to feel fear, anxiety, or depression. Such experiments are usually aimed at identifying the principles of animals’ behavior and comparing it to that of humans (“The five worst animal experiments,” 2014). Nevertheless, after these experiments, animals usually become very aggressive and cannot normally function in their animal “society”.

Laws and Animal Testing

According to most religious laws, animal testing is forbidden, as they are defined as the same creatures as humans. Certainly, animals are not as smart as humans, and their perception of reality is different, but they have similar bodies and experience similar feelings. Therefore, before making horrible experiments on animals, humans must think what it would be like if they were experimented on (“The Muslim view on animal,” 2017). Thus, animals have the same right to live their full lives as humans.

Although human laws impose a certain restriction regarding the experiments on animals, they are not enough, as they still allow people to torture them in the experiments. According to European legislation, all vertebrate animals including reptiles, fish, birds, and mammals and only some invertebrates such as octopuses are considered “animals”, on which it is prohibited to experiment (“Treatment of animals,” 2016). In the USA, the situation is worse and such creatures as mice, amphibians, birds, fish, and rats are not defined as “animals”, and scientists can freely perform any experiments on them that they want.

The system of experimenting on animals has grown into a multi-million dollar industry that has many facilities and laboratories around the world. They also have special facilities aimed at breeding animals specifically for testing. In these facilities, animals usually live in bad conditions being imprisoned and forcibly fed. Using wild-caught animals is prohibited in Europe and in some other countries, but it is allowed in other countries of the world. It is usually forbidden to use such domestic animals as dogs and cats in experiments, but, unfortunately, not in all countries (McKay, 2016). Even monkeys that resemble humans the most are often used in experiments.

In terms of animal suffering, The EU even introduced a scale which measures the degree of suffering experienced by animals in a particular experiment. Thus, they distinguish between “minor”, “moderate”, and “severe” suffering inflicted on animals. For example, in 2012, in the UK, more than 60% of permissions were granted by the British government allowing animals to be undergone from moderate to severe suffering. Reportedly, approximately 75% of the experiments were performed without injecting the animals with anesthetics. Moreover, quite a big percentage of those experiments required animals to die (Scheler, 2017). For instance, the tests for various vaccines and chemicals resulted in the death of more than 50% of the animals involved in these experiments.

Animal Testing Is Ineffective

The second argument against animal testing is that it is often ineffective, as the results received from the experiments can be inaccurate. There are many reasons for this, but, the most important point is that in such science as medicine, the information must be reliable; otherwise, there is always a risk that a particular medicine will cause unpleasant effects in humans or even be life-threatening.

Examples of the Ineffectiveness of Animal Testing

In addition to being cruel and inhumane, the experiments on animals often turn out to be ineffective. The main reason for this is that the animal organism either responds differently to many life-threatening diseases that humans suffer from or is completely immune to them. For example, animals do not suffer from most heart diseases, some types of cancer and HIV, they do not have Parkinson’s disease and the majority of psychiatric diseases such as schizophrenia. However, some of these diseases can be artificially induced in them for the sake of an experiment that allegedly shows how these diseases can be cured in humans. Thus, the most important argument is that in these experiments, people usually do not take into consideration other factors that are inherent only in humans and affect the behavior of diseases (“Cruelty to animals,” 2017). These factors include socio-economic conditions, genetics, psychological issues, and personal experience.

Indeed, according to the statistics, quite a great number of experiments on animals, that were promising in terms of finding a cure to some diseases, turned out to be ineffective for humans. In this respect, the end does not justify the means, as animals suffered for nothing. As a result, animals’ lives along with the time and money were wasted, and no effective treatment was developed (“Arguments against animal,” 2016). In addition, as it can be seen, after the decades of animal testing aimed at finding a cure for Alzheimer’s disease, stroke, AIDS, Parkinson’s disease, diabetes, and cancer, there is still no reliable cure and effective treatment for them.

Thus, according to the statistics, the majority of experiments on animals that show promising results, turn out to be ineffective when it comes to humans. Moreover, the experimenting on smaller animals such as rabbits, mice, and rats showed an even lower rate of success, primarily because their organisms differ from that of a human (Scheler, 2017). Additionally, statistics show that only 20% of experimental drugs used on animals are effective in humans. In terms of testing the safety of drugs, only 45% of experiments work for humans.

According to the overall results of the experiments on animals conducted all over the world, approximately 120 million animals are used in them, and only about 30 new medications are approved every year, which is far from being efficient. The investment of the U.S. drug industry in the experiments equals $50 billion each year, but the approval rate has not changed since the 1960s. Among those drugs that are approved, not all of them are completely effective for everyone due to different individual reactions (McKay, 2016). Overall, for the last 20 years, only five percent of experiments performed on animals resulted in a successful approval of treatments.

Sometimes, animal testing can be dangerous even for humans. A vivid example is a drug called Vioxx that was used for arthritis. After successful experiments on monkeys and on some other mammals, this drug was approved for human usage. However, Vioxx turned out to be dangerous for humans causing more than 300,000 heart attacks all over the world, almost half of which resulted in the lethal outcome. Another example is fialuridine, a Hepatitis B drug that was prohibited for having caused liver damage resulting in five deaths. However, this drug had been several times tested on animals before. One more illustrative example is a monoclonal antibody treatment (TGN1412) that was tested on human volunteers. As a result, it caused an allergic reaction, after which the volunteers were hospitalized (Haugen, 2000). However, this drug had been used on monkeys several hundred times before, and no side effects were identified.

Alternatives to Animal Testing

Banning animal testing does not necessarily mean that the development of medications that can provide treatment for incurable diseases will stop, as there are always alternatives, which can improve progress in medicine and add humaneness to the science. Thus, with technological developments in the sphere of science, the number of alternatives to animal testing is increasing. In this respect, the main problem is that most people are reluctant to use new technologies (“Animal testing 101,” 2016). Instead, they tend to stick to more conservative and traditional methods that certainly involve animal testing.

Another obstacle in the process of adoption of these new methods is bureaucracy. There are a lot of organizations and charities that advocate for the prohibition of animal testing, and they can accelerate the process of implementation of these innovations.

In terms of the alternatives, there are several of them that are very effective. The first alternative is growing cells and other organic material in laboratories. Nowadays, almost any type of a human cell can be created in a laboratory. These cells are used in the creation of special devices that are called “organs-on-chips”. These devices can be used for experiments instead of animals. There were already several successful experiments conducted on these devices that involved observing the behavior of diseases and the effects of drugs (“Alternatives to animal,” 2016). Additionally, cell cultures are now the primary focus regarding the development of treatment to such diseases as cancer, AIDS, kidney diseases, and sepsis.

Another alternative to animal testing, which is not new though, is human tissues. Human tissues that can be provided by volunteers or extracted from dead bodies can be used in some kinds of experiments. Moreover, there are many operations such as cosmetic surgery, biopsy, and transplants that can serve as a reliable source of human tissues. Using brain tissues from dead bodies has also lead to a better understanding of such diseases as Parkinson’s disease or multiple sclerosis.

One more alternative to animal testing, the importance of which has been increasingly growing for the past several decades, is computer models. Indeed, the most powerful contemporary computers in the world are able to simulate many processes that would occur in a human body after taking a particular experimental medication. These virtual experiments are primarily based on the already existing data about a particular disease and its behavior in the human body and on mathematical, chemical, and physical laws integrated into this program of simulation (“Alternatives to animal,” 2016). Certainly, now, computer sphere is not powerful enough for complex virtual experiments, but taking into account the rate of its growth, it will be soon.

Arguments for Animal Testing

Despite all the evidence listed above and showing that animal testing is both a cruel and ineffective practice, it still has its defenders. For example, the IQ Consortium DruSafe argues that nonclinical animal testing is crucial when it comes to assessing the risks of developing new drugs (Mangipudy, 2014). They believe that there are no in vitro or in silico systems developed enough to accurately emulate all of the complexities of the human organism (Mangipudy, 2014). Further, even with the eventual development of these surrogate systems, their ability to predict all of the negative effects from unique toxicities is still under question. In general, many people, while denouncing animal testing for cosmetic purposes, still insist that it is an unavoidable necessity for improving human health. Just as well, many people consider animal testing to be a necessary evil – they agree about it being cruel while saying that without it there would be no treatments like insulin, vaccines, HIV drugs and so on and that it helped us get better understanding of diseases like malaria or hemophilia (Murnaghan, 2017).

While it is true that animal testing has proven to be useful in the past, it does not mean that we need to stop developing new methods of testing and keep it around animals. If we consider ourselves to be a truly evolved species, we need to abandon any sort of animal cruelty completely and find ways to benefit ourselves without causing harm to anyone or anything. Furthermore, the effectiveness of alternative methods of testing is not to be underestimated, considering that more and more of them are being researched and improved with each passing year. These alternatives, both with their quantity and their quality, clearly highlight the obsolescence of animal testing and the need for replacing it with more humane and harmless methods.

Thus, as it can be seen from the statistics, animal testing is cruel and in most cases, not effective. Therefore, it must be banned, especially now, when there are many innovative technologies that can be used as alternatives. Moreover, these alternatives have already shown great promises in being much more efficient than animal testing. Fortunately, the current tendency shows that these alternatives will be adopted in the near future, thereby bringing the end to violent experiments on animals.

Alternatives to animal testing . (2016). Web.

Animal testing 101 . (2016). Web.

Arguments against animal testing . (2016). Web.

Cruelty to animals in laboratories . (2017). Web.

The five worst animal experiments happening right now . (2014). Web.

Harm and suffering . (2017). Web.

Haugen, D. M. (2000). Animal experimentation . San Diego, CA: Greenhaven Press.

McKay, M. (2016). The cruelty of lab animal testing. Web.

Murnaghan, I. (2017). Background and history of animal testing. Web.

The Muslim view on animal testing . (2017). Web.

Scheler, S. (2017). Everything you need to know about animal testing. Web.

Scutti, S. (2013). Animal testing: A long, unpretty history. Web.

Treatment of animals . (2016). Web.

What is animal testing? (2016). Web.

Mangipudy, R., Burkhardt, J., & Kadambi, V. J. (2014). Use of animals for toxicology testing is necessary to ensure patient safety in pharmaceutical development. Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology , 70 (2), 439-441.

Murnaghan, I. (2017). Using Animals for Testing: Pros Versus Cons. Web.

• Animal Testing as an Unnecessary and Atrocious Practice
• Negative Impacts of Animal Testing
• Animal Testing: History and Ethics
• Solid Waste in the Arabian Gulf Reduction
• California and Water Shortage
• Ways of Producing and Consuming Material Resources
• Environmental Regulation of Oil and Gas
• Chemicals on Birds’ Populations Effects
• Chicago (A-D)
• Chicago (N-B)

IvyPanda. (2022, January 19). Animal Testing: History and Arguments. https://ivypanda.com/essays/animal-testing-history-and-arguments/

"Animal Testing: History and Arguments." IvyPanda , 19 Jan. 2022, ivypanda.com/essays/animal-testing-history-and-arguments/.

IvyPanda . (2022) 'Animal Testing: History and Arguments'. 19 January.

IvyPanda . 2022. "Animal Testing: History and Arguments." January 19, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/animal-testing-history-and-arguments/.

1. IvyPanda . "Animal Testing: History and Arguments." January 19, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/animal-testing-history-and-arguments/.

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IvyPanda . "Animal Testing: History and Arguments." January 19, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/animal-testing-history-and-arguments/.

Reproduced with permission from student

January 26, 2004

Public Speaking 220

Katherine E. Oleson

Title: “The importance of understanding the controversy around animal testing”

Topic: animal testing

General Purpose: to inform

Specific Purpose: to inform the audience about what animal testing is, and explain the alternative practices to it

Thesis Statement: Animal testing is a highly controversial topic that has divided people into group that either support animal testing or oppose it altogether, and another one that advocates the use of alternatives.

Organizational plan: Categorical

I. Introduction

• Attention getter: How many of you use here use razors to shave? How many of you wear makeup? How many of you have been on antibiotics at some time in your life? If you raised your hand or answered “yes” in your head to any of these questions, then this speech concerns you. Animal testing has been used as a mechanism in the advancement of medicine, household products, and the cosmetic industry in the United State s for nearly 60 years. With between 17 and 70 million animals killed each year in U.S. laboratories, the growth in animal experimentation has sparked much debate.
• Thesis: Animal testing is a high controversial topic that has divided people into groups that support animal experimentation, oppose it altogether, or advocate the use of available alternatives.
• Preview: Today I am going to tell you about some of the main ideas that are involved in the debate surrounding animal experimentation. Along with providing you a background about animal testing, I will educate you with information about both the benefits of animal testing and the disadvantages of animal testing.

<Transition> I will start out by illustrating the historical background of and the legislative reasons behind its use.

• While there is a law in effect that regulates the condition of animals used in experiments, the legality of these tests is not enforced.
• The Animal Welfare Act (AWA) is the federal law that governs the humane care, handling, treatment, and transportation of animals used in laboratories (PETA, 2004).
• No law requires animal testing for cosmetics and household products, and both the Consumer Product Safety Commission and the Food and Drug Administration does not require any particular product test.

<Transition> Even though there is not strict regulation that can force companies into using animals as their means of testing, proponents of animal testing support its use for the efficiency it offers that other types of testing do not.

• Supporters of animal testing feel that because the animals are handled in a civilized manner, their use in making medical breakthroughs and guaranteeing product safety justifies animal testing.
• Various medical advances have been made thanks to animal testing that would otherwise have not been achieved.

a.        Barbara Davies, deputy director of the Research Defense Society, reports that “All you have to do is think of any major medical advances of the last 100 years to see the benefit of animal testing,” (Morrison, 2001).

b.       Because of animal research we have anesthesia, hip replacement, kidney dialysis, and a vaccine for acute Hepatitis B, and without animal testing doctors would not have the chemotherapy to save 70% of children who now survive acute lymphatic leukemia (Americans for Medical Progress Educational Alliance, 2002).

• Advocates of animal experimentation argue that laboratory testing is not as common or cruel as it is conveyed by the common public.

a.        Of all the areas in animal use, including agriculture, pet, sports, and animal research, the standards of welfare and veterinary care laid down are the highest for animals kept in labs for research (Haugen, 2000).

b.       In 1999, 57 percent of vertebrate animals in labs covered by the Animal Welfare Act experienced no pain or distress, and of those that do undergo moderate to severe pain, 34 percent were relieved by anesthesia or analgesia, and only 9 percent tested suffered from unrelieved pain or stress. (The Center for Laboratory Animal Welfare, 2004).

3. Product testing is crucal to guaranteeing consumers that they can securely use everyday products without experiencing side effects.

a. Scientists defend testing on animals because they are conducted in the name of protecting consumers, while manufacturers rely on animal testing to verify the safety of the product and protect them from lawsuits (McCoy, 1993).

b.  Researchers call attention to the fact that only 20 percent of animals used in laboratories are used to evaluate the safety of consumer products (The Center for Laboratory Animal Welfare, 2004).

c. If no testing is performed on a product, the producer is legally responsible to print a warning on the product label reading: THE SAFETY OF THIS PRODUCT HAS NOT BEEN DETERMINED, which may turn away potential buyers and in a snowball effect the manufacturers, scientists, and researchers are left without jobs (McCoy, 1993).

<Transition> Although I have presented several reasons in support of animal experimentation, there are also a number of strong arguments that oppose it.

• Those against the current means of animal testing undermine it as a malicious procedure of yielding inaccurate results that could be more effective and scientific with the use of alternatives.
• Opponents allege testing on animals leads to unreliable and unscientific findings that harm or kill humans 61% of the time after being deemed safe (Americans for Medical Progress Educational Alliance, 2003).

a.        Plavix, which is taken by more than three million patients, passed all required animal tests and was considered safe for humans. Now it is causing bleeding, anemia, and kidney failure in some clients (Cohen, 2001).

b.       Medications such as aspirin kill cats, and penicillin kills guinea pigs, yet guinea pigs can safely eat strychnine, one of the deadliest poisons for humans that is safe for monkeys to consume (Haugen, 2000).

• Animal testing is a vicious process that inflicts stress and physical pain that can very well be avoided.

a.        The Eye Irritancy Test involves immobilizing rabbits from stocks where only their heads project and dropping different substances into their eyes usually with no anesthesia to test the damage to the eye tissue over a course of generally 72 hours (PETA, 2004).

b.       With the Acute Toxicity Test a substance is usually forced by tube into the animals stomachs or through holes cut into their throats to determine the amount of a substance that will kill a percentage, even up to 100 percent, of a group of test animals (PETA, 2004).

• Challengers of animal testing say alternatives are the future, and that since they are available they should be persued.

a.        A study by the American Medical Association found that 75 percent of Americans are against using animals to test cosmetics (Haugen, 2000).

b.       While the expansion and recognition of using alternatives is slowly growing, over 500 companies have already shunned animal testing (PETA, 2004).

i.                      Colgate-Palmolive is one of the largest companies that’s reduced its use of animal testing and their research facility has reduced the use of animals for experimentation by as much as 90 percent (McCoy, 1993).

c.        Through epidemiology (population research), in vitro experimentation, and clinical studies we have discovered our most valuable information about the origins of cancer, the efficiency of treatments, and the prevention of cancer (Cohen, 2001).

<Transition> Both sides of this debate have valuable arguments that should be taken into consideration when shaping your opinion and when deciding the future of animal testing.

III. Conclusion

• Signal: Considering how detailed and supported the statements of the challengers and advocates of animal testing are, the outlook of animal testing will take much time and deliberation to make an educated decision. It is important that we the public stay informed and active as we are the consumers of these products.
• Summary/Review: As you have seen, those who agree with animal testing cite the medical breakthroughs, the necessity of animal testing in determining safety, and the humane treatment of animals as reasons to support their position. In contrast, those who disagree with animal experimentation see it as unreliable and unscientific, cruel physical harm, and want alternative practices to be more widely used.
• Closure: Billions of dollars are funded each year in the animal testing industry, so next time you go to the store to buy makeup, medication, or even toothpaste, make a well-informed decision about whether or not you support animal experimentation.

Americans for Medical Progress Educational Alliance. (2003). Animal Research . Retrieved

January 25, 2004, from Americans for Medical Progress Educational Alliance Web site: http://www.amprogress.org/Issues/issuesmain.cfm

Cohen, M. (2001 April). Human lives not saved by lab animals . Seattle Post-Intelligencer . A19.

Retrieved January 22, 2003, from UMI Proquest Direct.

Haugen, D.M. (2000). Animal experimentation . San Diego: Greenhaven Press.

McCoy, J.J. (1993). Animals in research, issues, and conflicts . United States: Impact.

Morrison, N. (2001, February). Animal rights and wrongs. Northern Echo . 08. Retrieved January

21, 2004, from UMI Proquest Direct database.

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA). (2004). Factsheets . Retrieved January 21,

2004, from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals Web site: http://www.peta.org/mc/facts.html

The Center for Laboratory Animal Welfare. (2004). Laboratory Animal Welfare . Retrieved

January 21, 2004, from the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Web site: http://www.labanimalwelfare.org/

Should Animals Be Used for Scientific or Commercial Testing?

• History of Animal Testing

Animals are used to develop medical treatments, determine the toxicity of medications, check the safety of products destined for human use, and other  biomedical , commercial, and health care uses. Research on living animals has been practiced since at least 500 BC.

Descriptions of the dissection of live animals have been found in ancient Greek writings from as early as circa 500 BC. Physician-scientists such as  Aristotle ,  Herophilus , and  Erasistratus  performed the experiments to discover the functions of living organisms.  Vivisection  (dissection of a living organism) was practiced on human criminals in ancient Rome and Alexandria, but prohibitions against mutilation of the human body in ancient Greece led to a reliance on animal subjects. Aristotle believed that animals lacked intelligence, and so the notions of justice and injustice did not apply to them.  Theophrastus , a successor to Aristotle, disagreed, objecting to the vivisection of animals on the grounds that, like humans, they can feel pain, and causing pain to animals was an affront to the gods. Read more background…

Pro & Con Arguments

Pro 1 Animal testing contributes to life-saving cures and treatments for humans and animals alike. Nearly every medical breakthrough in the last 100 years has resulted directly from research using animals, according to the California Biomedical Research Association. To name just a few examples, animal research has contributed to major advances in treating conditions including breast cancer, brain injury, childhood leukemia, cystic fibrosis, multiple sclerosis, and tuberculosis. Testing on animals was also instrumental in the development of pacemakers, cardiac valve substitutes, and anesthetics. [ 9 ] [ 10 ] [ 11 ] [ 12 ] [ 13 ] Scientists racing to develop a vaccine for coronavirus during the 2020 global pandemic needed to test on genetically modified mice to ensure that the vaccine did not make the virus worse. Nikolai Petrovsky, professor in the College of Medicine and Public Health at Flinders University in Australia, said testing a coronavirus vaccine on animals is “absolutely essential” and skipping that step would be “fraught with difficulty and danger.” [ 119 ] [ 133 ] Researchers have to test extensively to prevent “vaccine enhancement,” a situation in which a vaccine actually makes the disease worse in some people. “The way you reduce that risk is first you show it does not occur in laboratory animals,” explains Peter Hotez, Dean for the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College. [ 119 ] [ 141 ] Further, animals themselves benefit from the results of animal testing. Vaccines tested on animals have saved millions of animals that would otherwise have died from rabies, distemper, feline leukemia, infectious hepatitis virus, tetanus, anthrax, and canine parvo virus. Treatments for animals developed using animal testing also include pacemakers for heart disease and remedies for glaucoma and hip dysplasia. [ 9 ] [ 21 ] Animal testing has also been instrumental in saving endangered species from extinction, including the black-footed ferret, the California condor and the tamarins of Brazil. The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) endorses animal testing to develop safe drugs, vaccines, and medical devices. [ 9 ] [ 13 ] [ 23 ] Read More

Pro 2 Animals are appropriate research subjects because they are similar to human beings in many ways. Chimpanzees share 99% of their DNA with humans, and mice are 98% genetically similar to humans. All mammals, including humans, are descended from common ancestors, and all have the same set of organs (heart, kidneys, lungs, etc.) that function in essentially the same way with the help of a bloodstream and central nervous system. Because animals and humans are so biologically similar, they are susceptible to many of the same conditions and illnesses, including heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. [ 9 ] [ 17 ] [ 18 ] Animals often make better research subjects than humans because of their shorter life cycles. Laboratory mice, for example, live for only two to three years, so researchers can study the effects of treatments or genetic manipulation over a whole lifespan, or across several generations, which would be infeasible using human subjects. Mice and rats are particularly well-suited to long-term cancer research, partly because of their short lifespans. [ 9 ] [ 29 ] [ 30 ] Further, animals must be used in cases when ethical considerations prevent the use of human subjects. When testing medicines for potential toxicity, the lives of human volunteers should not be put in danger unnecessarily. It would be unethical to perform invasive experimental procedures on human beings before the methods have been tested on animals, and some experiments involve genetic manipulation that would be unacceptable to impose on human subjects before animal testing. The World Medical Association Declaration of Helsinki states that human trials should be preceded by tests on animals. [ 19 ] [ 20 ] A poll of 3,748 scientists by the Pew Research Center found that 89% favored the use of animals in scientific research. The American Cancer Society, American Physiological Society, National Association for Biomedical Research, American Heart Association, and the Society of Toxicology all advocate the use of animals in scientific research. [ 36 ] [ 37 ] [ 38 ] [ 39 ] [ 40 ] [ 120 ] Read More

Pro 3 Animal research is highly regulated, with laws in place to protect animals from mistreatment. In addition to local and state laws and guidelines, animal research has been regulated by the federal Animal Welfare Act (AWA) since 1966. As well as stipulating minimum housing standards for research animals (enclosure size, temperature, access to clean food and water, and others), the AWA also requires regular inspections by veterinarians. [ 3 ] All proposals to use animals for research must be approved by an Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) set up by each research facility. Most major research institutions’ programs are voluntarily reviewed for humane practices by the Association for Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care International (AAALAC). [ 24 ] [ 25 ] Animal researchers treat animals humanely, both for the animals’ sake and to ensure reliable test results. Research animals are cared for by veterinarians, husbandry specialists, and animal health technicians to ensure their well-being and more accurate findings. Rachel Rubino, attending veterinarian and director of the animal facility at Cold Springs Harbor Laboratory, says, “Most people who work with research animals love those animals…. We want to give them the best lives possible, treat them humanely.” At Cedars-Sinai Medical Center’s animal research facility, dogs are given exercise breaks twice daily to socialize with their caretakers and other dogs, and a “toy rotation program” provides opportunities for play. [ 28 ] [ 32 ] Read More

Con 1 Animal testing is cruel and inhumane. Animals used in experiments are commonly subjected to force feeding, food and water deprivation, the infliction of burns and other wounds to study the healing process, the infliction of pain to study its effects and remedies, and “killing by carbon dioxide asphyxiation, neck-breaking, decapitation, or other means,” according to Humane Society International. The US Department of Agriculture reported in Jan. 2020 that research facilities used over 300,000 animals in activities involving pain in just one year. [ 47 ] [ 102 ] Plus, most experiments involving animals are flawed, wasting the lives of the animal subjects. A peer-reviewed study found serious flaws in the majority of publicly funded US and UK animal studies using rodents and primates: “only 59% of the studies stated the hypothesis or objective of the study and the number and characteristics of the animals used.” A 2017 study found further flaws in animal studies, including “incorrect data interpretation, unforeseen technical issues, incorrectly constituted (or absent) control groups, selective data reporting, inadequate or varying software systems, and blatant fraud.” [ 64 ] [ 128 ] Only 5% of animals used in experiments are protected by US law. The Animal Welfare Act (AWA) does not apply to rats, mice, fish, and birds, which account for 95% of the animals used in research. The types of animals covered by the AWA account for fewer than one million animals used in research facilities each year, which leaves around 25 million other animals without protection from mistreatment. The US Department of Agriculture, which inspects facilities for AWA compliance, compiles annual statistics on animal testing but they only include data on the small percentage of animals subject to the Act. [ 1 ] [ 2 ] [ 26 ] [ 28 ] [ 135 ] Even the animals protected by the AWA are mistreated. Violations of the Animal Welfare Act at the federally funded New Iberia Research Center (NIRC) in Louisiana included maltreatment of primates who were suffering such severe psychological stress that they engaged in self-mutilation, infant primates awake and alert during painful experiments, and chimpanzees being intimidated and shot with a dart gun. [ 68 ] Read More

Con 2 Animal tests do not reliably predict results in human beings. 94% of drugs that pass animal tests fail in human clinical trials. Over 100 stroke drugs and over 85 HIV vaccines failed in humans after succeeding in animal trials. Nearly 150 clinical trials (human tests) of treatments to reduce inflammation in critically ill patients have been undertaken, and all of them failed, despite being successful in animal tests. [ 57 ] [ 58 ] [ 59 ] Drugs that pass animal tests are not necessarily safe. The 1950s sleeping pill thalidomide, which caused 10,000 babies to be born with severe deformities, was tested on animals prior to its commercial release. Later tests on pregnant mice, rats, guinea pigs, cats, and hamsters did not result in birth defects unless the drug was administered at extremely high doses. Animal tests on the arthritis drug Vioxx showed that it had a protective effect on the hearts of mice, yet the drug went on to cause more than 27,000 heart attacks and sudden cardiac deaths before being pulled from the market. [ 5 ] [ 55 ] [ 56 ] [ 109 ] [ 110 ] Plus, animal tests may mislead researchers into ignoring potential cures and treatments. Some chemicals that are ineffective on (or harmful to) animals prove valuable when used by humans. Aspirin, for example, is dangerous for some animal species. Intravenous vitamin C has shown to be effective in treating sepsis in humans, but makes no difference to mice. Fk-506 (tacrolimus), used to lower the risk of organ transplant rejection, was “almost shelved” because of animal test results, according to neurologist Aysha Akhtar. A report on Slate.com stated that a “source of human suffering may be the dozens of promising drugs that get shelved when they cause problems in animals that may not be relevant for humans.” [ 105 ] [ 106 ] [ 127 ] Read More

Con 3 Alternative testing methods now exist that can replace the need for animals. Other research methods such as in vitro testing (tests done on human cells or tissue in a petri dish) offer opportunities to reduce or replace animal testing. Technological advancements in 3D printing allow the possibility for tissue bioprinting: a French company is working to bioprint a liver that can test the toxicity of a drug. Artificial human skin, such as the commercially available products EpiDerm and ThinCert, can be made from sheets of human skin cells grown in test tubes or plastic wells and may produce more useful results than testing chemicals on animal skin. [ 15 ] [ 16 ] [ 50 ] [ 51 ] Michael Bachelor, Senior Scientist and Product Manager at biotech company MatTek, stated, “We can now create a model from human skin cells — keratinocytes — and produce normal skin or even a model that mimics a skin disease like psoriasis. Or we can use human pigment-producing cells — melanocytes — to create a pigmented skin model that is similar to human skin from different ethnicities. You can’t do that on a mouse or a rabbit.” The Environmental Protection Agency is so confident in alternatives that the agency intends to reduce chemical testing on mammals 30% by 2025 and end it altogether by 2035. [ 61 ] [ 134 ] [ 140 ] Scientists are also able to test vaccines on humans volunteers. Unlike animals used for research, humans are able to give consent to be used in testing and are a viable option when the need arises. The COVID-19 (coronavirus) global pandemic demonstrated that researchers can skip animal testing and go straight to observing how vaccines work in humans. One company working on a COVID-19 vaccine, Moderna Therapeutics, worked on developing a vaccine using new technology: instead of being based on a weakened form of the virus, it was developed using a synthetic copy of the COVID-19 genetic code. [ 142 ] [ 143 ] Read More

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Ethical care for research animals

WHY ANIMAL RESEARCH?

The use of animals in some forms of biomedical research remains essential to the discovery of the causes, diagnoses, and treatment of disease and suffering in humans and in animals., stanford shares the public's concern for laboratory research animals..

Many people have questions about animal testing ethics and the animal testing debate. We take our responsibility for the ethical treatment of animals in medical research very seriously. At Stanford, we emphasize that the humane care of laboratory animals is essential, both ethically and scientifically.  Poor animal care is not good science. If animals are not well-treated, the science and knowledge they produce is not trustworthy and cannot be replicated, an important hallmark of the scientific method .

There are several reasons why the use of animals is critical for biomedical research: 

••  Animals are biologically very similar to humans. In fact, mice share more than 98% DNA with us!

••  Animals are susceptible to many of the same health problems as humans – cancer, diabetes, heart disease, etc.

••  With a shorter life cycle than humans, animal models can be studied throughout their whole life span and across several generations, a critical element in understanding how a disease processes and how it interacts with a whole, living biological system.

The ethics of animal experimentation

Nothing so far has been discovered that can be a substitute for the complex functions of a living, breathing, whole-organ system with pulmonary and circulatory structures like those in humans. Until such a discovery, animals must continue to play a critical role in helping researchers test potential new drugs and medical treatments for effectiveness and safety, and in identifying any undesired or dangerous side effects, such as infertility, birth defects, liver damage, toxicity, or cancer-causing potential.

U.S. federal laws require that non-human animal research occur to show the safety and efficacy of new treatments before any human research will be allowed to be conducted.  Not only do we humans benefit from this research and testing, but hundreds of drugs and treatments developed for human use are now routinely used in veterinary clinics as well, helping animals live longer, healthier lives.

It is important to stress that 95% of all animals necessary for biomedical research in the United States are rodents – rats and mice especially bred for laboratory use – and that animals are only one part of the larger process of biomedical research.

Our researchers are strong supporters of animal welfare and view their work with animals in biomedical research as a privilege.

Stanford researchers are obligated to ensure the well-being of all animals in their care..

Stanford researchers are obligated to ensure the well-being of animals in their care, in strict adherence to the highest standards, and in accordance with federal and state laws, regulatory guidelines, and humane principles. They are also obligated to continuously update their animal-care practices based on the newest information and findings in the fields of laboratory animal care and husbandry.  

Researchers requesting use of animal models at Stanford must have their research proposals reviewed by a federally mandated committee that includes two independent community members.  It is only with this committee’s approval that research can begin. We at Stanford are dedicated to refining, reducing, and replacing animals in research whenever possible, and to using alternative methods (cell and tissue cultures, computer simulations, etc.) instead of or before animal studies are ever conducted.

Organizations and Resources

There are many outreach and advocacy organizations in the field of biomedical research.

• Learn more about outreach and advocacy organizations

Stanford Discoveries

What are the benefits of using animals in research? Stanford researchers have made many important human and animal life-saving discoveries through their work. 

• Learn more about research discoveries at Stanford