Animal Experimentation

Research, PIR Partners. "Animal Experimentation Is Necessary to Ensure Product Safety." At Issue: Animal Experimentation. Ed. Ronnie D. Lankford, Jr. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2009. Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Gale. INLAN - Gonzaga University Library. 17 Mar. 2010 <http://find.galegroup.com/ovrc/infomark.do?&contentSet=GSRC&type=retrieve&tabID=T010&prodId=OVRC&docId=EJ3010002236&source=gale&srcprod=OVRC&userGroupName=gonzagaufoley&version=1.0>.

Partners in Research (PIR) is a Canadian national charity established in 1988 to educate the public—particularly young people—about the history and accomplishments of health research. Animal testing has aided humans in a number of important ways. Because of toxicity testing, for instance, poison centers are able to aid parents when a child has swallowed a harmful product. Before animal testing, humans served as the first test subjects for new drugs; because of multiple accidents, however, the government eventually required drug companies to test new products on animals. Scientists have worked to limit the number of animals used in experiments; alternative testing methods have also helped reduce the number of animals used. But the complexity of human biology makes it impossible at present to eliminate animal testing. Until effective technology is available, animal testing will remain a valuable aid to ensuring the safety of new drugs.

Nicole Apted

Burgos, Javier B. "Animal Experimentation Is Unscientific." At Issue: Animal Experimentation. Ed. David M. Haugen. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 2000. Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Gale. INLAN - Gonzaga University Library. 17 Mar. 2010 <http://find.galegroup.com/ovrc/infomark.do?&contentSet=GSRC&type=retrieve&tabID=T010&prodId=OVRC&docId=EJ3010002211&source=gale&srcprod=OVRC&userGroupName=gonzagaufoley&version=1.0>.

Javier B. Burgos is the president of The Nature of Wellness, an organization devoted to informing the public about the medical and scientific invalidity of animal experimentation and testing. Since every species is unique, it is absurd to believe that human diseases or ailments can be cured by applying information garnered from animal experimentation. Animal models have not supplied useful information about threatening human diseases such as AIDS, cross-species transplants have ended in costly failures, and drugs tested safe on animals have proven deadly when consumed by humans. Common sense should dictate that these medical tactics are unsound and potentially disastrous.

Nicole Apted