Letter to the Editor: Why Animal Testing Should Be Illegal  

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Animal testing is cruel and very harmful to animals. 

Not only that, but it can be harmful to humans. As a pet owner, I couldn't imagine my cat having chemicals dripped in his eyes or being injected with harmful toxins, could you?

According to the NBCI, these tests are not even accurate. A test in France in 2016 to treat arthritis was called “safe” after animal testing. When used on humans, a few died and many were left with severe brain damage. 

That was only a pill, the animals have it much worse.

Animals are being borderline tortured. According to “Down to Earth” the animals are addicted to drugs, forced to inhale/ingest toxic substances, subjected to maternal deprivation, deafened, blinded, burned, stapled, and infected with diseases and viruses.

There are many pros and cons to animal testing but the cons outweigh the pros by a ton. According to Britannica, only 5% of animals used in experiments are protected by U.S. law. This means most of these tests are done illegally without notice. Alternative testing methods now exist that can replace the need for animals.



Human volunteers are a consensual way of testing, with accurate results. According to CFI, human cells have been used to create innovative little devices called “organs-on-chips.” These can be used instead of animals to study biological and disease processes, as well as drug metabolism. Devices have already been produced that accurately mimic the lung, heart, kidney and gut.

Consensual human testing is all we need for tests without hurting any animals. Torturing animals is inhumane, straight cruel and unfair. It should be illegal and action must be taken before animals go extinct.

 

Holly Smith

Centralia