Animal Testing

Okay! Here are some of my defences: "Rats and mice are slaughtered for food? I would like to know where they test rats and slaughter them. And for the extermination part, they should live in their natural habitat, not our houses. Like we shouldn't be living in the rainforest." I didn't say that rats and mice were slaughtered for food. When rats and mice do come into our houses for habitat, the vast majority of people would choose to exterminate them, either with the help of a company or with traps. Maybe we shouldn't be cutting down the rainforest, but this is another topic. "And only 18% are rats and mice." What was your source for this information? Many statistics say that about 95% of animals tested on are mice,birds and rats. Im not trying to be rude, but maybe this was a typo? "Why are we still dying from cancer if it is such a success? Why is lung and heart cancer a death sentence? Why is my friends mom dying from cancer" First off, I'm so sorry about your friends mom. I hope that she pulls through! However, animal testing DOES help cure disease, look at the statistics for the mortality rate in patients with childhood leukaemia. In 1960, it was more than 90%. However, in 2000, it was below 10%. Animal testing was used in this research, and therefore played an important role in treating cancer. You cannot argue that just because not all diseases are cured animal testing is useless. "I'm guessing you don't see humans as the same equivalent as animals." You're right, I don't. Although animals can definately feel pain, and most can comprehend basic ideas, I believe that other animals are not equivalent to humans. My dog might understand that it is a hot day, but I can undersand that it is hot day outside, because the earth is positioned in a way where the suns rays are hitting my city more directly. Humans are not equivalent to other animals, our thought process is much more advanced. "But it is used on shampoo, toothpaste, pesticides, mouthwash, makeup, and other everyday household items." Sorry, maybe I wasn't clear enough in the title, but i specified in the indroduction and comments that I meant animal testing for medical purposes only. "So I will go as far to ask you: are they even reliable?" Animal testing exists because we need to know how certain chemicals might react to our own body. Animals do help us to understand how the drug works on a living organ system, much like our own. Although a human body will in most cases not react exactly the same way to a drug that the animal body will, the animal body will still be able to tell us the toxicity, carcinogenicity, teratogenicity, side-effects and sometimes, efficacy of the drug. Human trials are then undertaken to make sure that the animal tests have accurately predicted the effects and side-effects of the new drugs on humans. Drugs are never put into circulation without first being tested on humans after animals, but animals do play a huge role in helping us predict the outcome of drugs on humans. "Argument 3: Abuse" This argument really bothers me. You make it sound as though scientists who test on animals are cold hearted people without mercy, and that anybody who supports animal testing or takes part in it is an animal hater. This is NOT true. It is the law that testing on animals MUST be carried out with close attention to minimising the pain and suffering caused to them. Animal reserchers do not hate animals, they do all that they can to insure that the animal is in as little pain as possible. Animals are to be killed after an experiment if they are in pain- this is a law too. Would you rather have the animal suffer for days, and then die? The animals are also required to be killed before they regain any consciousness (as quickly as possible). It doesn't matter if the animals "passed" the test or not, if the animal is suffering it should be put down. It isn't fair to argue with information meant to evoke emotion from readers. Yes, you posted a video of animals being treated cruelly. No, you don't know that this is what happens everyday. You don't see the benefit it has to our world. You don't know that all people who test on animals are cold-hearted. Diseases that animal testing has helped to treat: -Hepatitis c -epilepsy -childhood leukaemia -Parkinsons disease -Diabetes -Cystic Fibrosis -Heart Disease Animals save lives http://www.independent.co.uk... http://www.aaalac.org... http://scienceblog.cancerresearchuk.org... http://www.cancer.org... http://www.amprogress.org... http://www.amprogress.org... Sorry, I would have made your statements in bold, but my computer wasn't working quite right! This debate has been a very fun experience for me! God bless!