Andre Lucas de Luna Santos

Kayla Andrews
Intensive English Language Program
3 July 2014
Animal Testing: Human Rights Versus Animal Rights
Currently, I have had the feeling that our days are passing faster than ten or twenty years
ago. Maybe now we have more to do and the time looks like shorter than before. That can be a
consequence of the bombing of new technological things that are released every year, month and
day. But, one question about it is: Does the technological development bring only benefits? I
am sure it doesnt. We are living the easy information age, an age which good and bad ideas are
spread to the whole world in seconds. One of those bad ideas is about the exaggerated caring to
animals. I heard stories about people who leave their heritage to dogs, millionaire cats, pets that
have their own big houses and chauffeurs. When you open your mind to the unequal world
where we live, can you see something wrong? I think that some values and thoughts are being
misunderstood and mistaught. Some people are trying to convince others that animals are
similar to us, but they have been teaching the concept of this relationship between human beings
and animals by a mistaken way. They are overvaluing them and trying to deprive them from
being used to our benefits. They are trying to deprive them from something that is essential to
our heath: laboratory tests. Even though some people think that using animals in research is a
kind of cruelty, I agree that animal testing should be legal.
My life, until the current days, has been filled with good moments and memories related
to animals. Since I was a child I have had several pets. I love animals and I like the way that
they show themselves our friends and partners. In my family we all love animals, but my mother
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always told me the difference that exists between people and animals. My mother taught me
how important people are and the difference of treatment with people and animals. According to
Peter Singer, my mother is not alone with that thought because he claims that the great Greek
philosopher Aristotle, the Bible book Genesis and Christian thinkers like Augustine and Aquinas
say that nonhuman beings have very minor significance. I believe that animals exist to help us
survive in this world. They exist to give us food, fun and anything else that they can provide.
A crucial reason why animal testing should be legal is because we need it to develop and
test new medicines. We know that our human body is weak and that it is easy for something to
hurt us or for an accident to happen to us. Because of that we use animals and we need them to
test new medicines. Today we have large variety of medicines and we often use them. If we
didnt use animals that way, we wouldnt have medicines and we would die from almost every
simple disease. What do you prefer? Seeing animals in laboratories or dying because you dont
have the specific medicine that you need? I prefer to survive, so I think we should use animals in
tests.
We should agree with animal testing because there is no other way to do that. In nature
we have everything that we need. When I talk about nature I am talking about animals too.
Many important universities around the world are using animals in researches and have had good
results from those studies. A good example of that is the University of Wisconsin Madison,
which has had success with animal testing for more than one century. The University website
states, In modern biomedical research, animal models are indispensible, and studies with
animals are almost always needed before testing can begin in humans (UW Animal
Research). Like examples of the Universitys success using animal testing we have the
discovery of new methods for development of new vaccines against influenza, the improvement
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of therapies to cure intestinal cancer and the creation of a new canine influenza vaccine that
protect animals from the bacterial infection. Currently, the technology is increasing and
improving but we dont have truly effective ways to test medicines. The alternative ways that
we have today use cells and computer simulation, but they are inefficient. We cant test
medicines using humans. Who would give a person from his family to be used in tests? I
wouldnt give anybody from my family or anybody who I dont know because I believe that we,
humans, are much more important than animals.
Some people think that we cant use animals in tests because they have feelings and they
are like us, humans. When I think about that argument I think about my dog and I remember that
he has feelings. But, if you look deeply at that reason you realize that it is false. I agree that
animals have feelings but I believe that their feelings are different from ours. They can feel basic
peoples feelings but they are not like us to feel complex feelings. Additionally, people who
defend animal rights think that animals suffer in laboratories. Actually that is not true. Justin
McNulty observes that according to the Animal Welfare Act, researchers must use anesthesia if
the procedures with animals make them suffer (PETAs Mixed Martial). We have to do the
math and see what is more important, our health or animals. There is no comparison between the
importance of human beings and animals. So, we must use them as we need, but with respect
and conscience of the consequences of our acts in the future.
In conclusion, I love animals and like having animals like friends. The best way that they
have to show us that they are our friends is being used for our benefits. The truth is that not only
humans receive benefits from animal testing but animals too. Victoria Gill observes that in some
aspects, the animal welfare is contributing to kill animals because it is not allowing scientists to
invent medicines to animals. We have to accept that they are important because without them
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we wouldnt have medicines and good health like we have. Also, we cant use anything else in
their place and in tests. I appreciate and consider them, but they are not like us so they have to
be put in their right place like helpers to us.




















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Works Cited
Gill, Victoria. Ebola and Ethics: Is Animal Welfare Killing Wild Apes? BBC News. BBC
News, 26 Jun. 2014. Web. 26 Jun. 2014.
PETAs Mixed Martial Assault on Scientists. Speaking of Research. Speaking of Research, 13
Jun. 2013. Web. 24 Jun. 2014.
Singer, Peter. Ethics and Animals. Animal Rights Korea. Animal Rights Korea, 2007. Web. 24
Jun. 2014.
UW Animal Research Achievements: The Tangible Benefits of Animal Research. Animal
Research. Animal Research, n.d. Web. 24 Jun. 2014.