Animals_in_Research

Animals in Research Throughout history, philosophers and scientists have used different resources to improve and sustain human life through research. These resources unfortunately include various numbers of animals like cats, dogs, pigs, mice, and monkeys that are used in the medical and psychological research fields. Years ago using animals in research was a necessity and it truly benefited the scientific world. However, society has evolved from centuries ago and new advances in alternative methods in the medical and psychological fields have proven to be more resourceful than using animals for current research studies. Continuing to use animals in research when more humane alternative methods are available is wrong because it presents an outdated method of research and it is cruelty to animals in modern society. Outdated methods of animal research are evident in the medical field. The medical world is in the most advance stages in the technological age, but still insists on using live animals for research and experiments. For example, the United States military utilizes a significant number of animals that are tested and killed yearly for unnecessary research. This number was estimated in 1999 at 327,097 animals. The Army uses 80% of these animals, the Air Force uses 8%, the Navy uses 3%, and unaffiliated Department of Defense labs use 9.3 % (Budkie). The Army specifically, uses monkeys, goats, and pigs for chemical warfare testing. Monkeys are injected with chemicals to demonstrate the effects of nerve gas for chemical casualty management training (Ask the Army). In reality, the actual threat of a chemical or biological attack is so slim that service members are not even required to carry their issued protective mask on them while deployed. In fact, military instructors explain that if an attack of this nature was to strike, no pro mask or the epinephrine pens issued will prevent the effects. Therefore, the necessity to continue with this type of animal research is outdated when identifying the real threats during combat. The next point encompasses both the outdated methods of medical research as well as animal cruelty. These specific research methods are controlled by the Department of Defense where 18.2% of the animals in the labs are used in painful experiments without anesthesia (Budkie). According to Kathy Guillermo, an investigator from the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, medical personnel in the military use animals for combat trauma training. This training includes using live pigs that are shot, stabbed, and burned and the legs of live goats are cut off with garden shears (Guillermo). It is important to ensure the utmost training for the military and fortunately, there are now humane ways to conduct real life scenarios for military personnel. Examples of alternative research methods that are a realistic medical tool include the TraumaMan System. This system is a “life-like simulator of the human body used for surgical training that includes simulated tissue structures and bodily fluids” (Ask the Army). Additionally, cadavers that are used to train doctors could assist military personnel in medical training and trauma emergency room training would alleviate the use of animals where a human would be more suitable. The examples listed show the outdated and cruel ways animals are still being used in medical research. They demonstrate the complete disregard for the animal’s well being by using them when other methods are available and more appropriate. While using animals in the medical research field is proven to be outdated and cruel, there is no denying the benefits that have come from using them in the past when other methods were not available. This includes medical research that has helped understand the animal itself, which enabled scientists to “produce vaccines for animals against rabies, distemper, feline leukemia, tetanus, parvovirus, infectious hepatitis, and anthrax” (Animal Research). Additionally, animals have helped in many ways with human diseases and illnesses. This includes perfecting organ transplants beginning with dogs, successful antibiotic use in mice, and asthma treatment first tested in guinea pigs (Everyday Wonders). Understanding what animals in research can do for people does not make it ethically right to continue to poke and prod living creatures for the benefit of human beings. This is especially true when testing can be successfully accomplished with human test cases or simulators for the most accurate results. Another important field that uses about 7-8% of animals for research includes the psychological field, also known as behavioral science (Animals Used in Psychological Research Vary). This consists of research studies that force animals into “depression, despair, hopelessness, fear, and addiction to determine the effects on the sensory systems, cognitive ability, or behavior” (Types of Research). One study in particular is known as maternal deprivation, this is where animals are taken away from their mother’s and put into cruel environments to document their behavior. Forcing these animals into psychological turmoil to study their behavior is unethical when these same studies can be tested on consensual adults who have lived through the same unfortunate circumstances. Another form of psychological research includes, injecting animals with addictive drugs to observe and record the side effects caused by narcotics. In reality, a more appropriate candidate for this type of research would be an addict who willingly submitted to a drug-influenced lifestyle. Some might say that subjecting a human to research studies in a laboratory is unethical because they do not consider them a suitable place for human beings, but in retrospect, these facilities are not an acceptable place for animals either. In fact, animals make poor models for humans when conducting behavioral and psychological research because it crosses different species with different genetics and evolutionary histories, making the findings inaccurate (Problems with Psychology Research). Therefore, scientists are still required to conduct the research on a human being to confirm the theories. This causes unnecessary cruelty towards animals and illustrates the obvious ways to receive accurate readings through alternate human test studies. It is unethical to exploit the voiceless victims who lack the ability to say no to these tests, while alternative humane methods are available. In contrast, there are test cases where animals have benefited the psychological research field. While animal testing does not always discover accurate results, they have served a significant purpose in certain behavioral research, which now allows psychologists to understand drug abuse and physical dependence. In addition, animal research identified and refined the basic behavioral principles that have led to the development of effective methods for promoting learning and self-reliance in a wide variety of populations (Animal Research Contributes). Although, these studies in the past show the importance of using animals in psychological research, the ethical dilemma remains of whether or not animals should continue to be used in research, despite the alternative methods. Overall, the positive benefits of animal research in modern day do not outweigh the overwhelming majority of animals that are continuously used for research where they suffer a great deal so humans can live longer, healthier lives. It is unethical and immoral to believe that animals should be used as mere tools where they are tested and killed in the name of science. This is especially true when a number of humane alternative methods provide accurate non-animal studies in every research field, which would alleviate the unnecessary use of animals in research. Works Cited “Animal Research.” Americans for Medical Progress. 19 July 2009 . “Animal Research Contributes Significantly to Knowledge of Behavior.” C.A.R.E. APA Board of Scientific Affairs Committee on Animal Research and Ethics. 2009. American Psychological Association. 19 July 2009 < http://www.apa.org/science/animal2.html>. “Animals Used in Psychological Research Vary.” C.A.R.E. APA Board of Scientific Affairs Committee on Animal Research and Ethics. 2009. American Psychological Association. 19 July 2009 < http://www.apa.org/science/animal2.html>. “Ask the Army to Phase Out the Use of Live Animals in Military Training Exercises.” The Humane Society of the United States. 19 July 2009 . Budkie, Michael A. “Military Animal Research.” Medical Research Modernization Committee. 20 July 2009 < http://www.mrmcmed.org/mar.html>. “Everyday Wonders.” Americans for Medical Progress. 19 July 2009 . Guillermo, Kathy. “Should Animals be used as Military Test Subjects'” Fox News. 19 July 2009 . “Problems with Psychology Research.” Types of Research: Psychology and Addiction Research. 2009. American Anti-Vivisection Society. “Types of Research: Psychology and Addiction Research.” American Anti-Vivisection Society. 19 July 2009 .