Animal Testing Research Papers

Words: 1116
Pages: 5

In 1981 at the Institute of Behavioral Research, laboratory student, Alex Pacheco, found seventeen severely debilitated monkeys covered in feces and wounds. Pacheco described their living space as a “cramped, dungeon-like room, and urine and rust encrusted every surface” (PETA, “The Silver Spring Monkeys”). After undergoing surgeries in which their spinal cords cut and their limbs were maimed, the monkeys were forced to regain the use of their disabled body parts. If the animals did not comply, they were repeatedly shocked, chained to be immobile, and starved. The stress and trauma of these restraints caused many monkeys to tear their own flesh out and pick waste and excrement to eat. This case marked the first conviction of animal cruelty …show more content…
Each year, PETA estimates over 100 million animals are killed in the U.S. alone in animal testing, including mice, rats, frogs, dogs, cats, rabbits, hamsters, guinea pigs, monkeys, fish, and birds (PETA, “Experiments on Animals”). These animals are subjected to invasive and damaging tests, ranging from slight skin irritation to lethal poisoning and seizures. In 2003, animal protection groups released a report of CPCSEA inspections done in 467 laboratories in India. The findings revealed experiments in which “sheep had holes drilled into their skulls and were injected with rabies” and “rats were blinded after having glass tubes pushed behind their eyes to extract blood” (Chaitanya). Under current laws, no experiments-- no matter the extreme-- are prohibited by law. In fact, 99% of all animals used in testing are not protected in any way by the Animal Welfare Act, including the most commonly used animals such as rats, mice and birds (PETA, “Experiments on Animals”). Because of this, scientists are not required to the ideal conditions and care that the animals need. Animals in laboratories are kept in cramped cages, often being worked on for long and continuous durations. In chronic toxicity and carcinogenicity studies animals are tested upon without break with or pain relievers, often resulting in death or permanent injuries. Through violent tests and inappropriate living conditions, animals are left damaged and