ISSUE-+Animal+Rights

ISSUE ANIMAL RIGHTS **Animal Rights - can experiments on animals be justified?** Why do we as a civilized society conduct experiments using animals? Experiments on animals fall into two main categories. Medical experiments which for example test the effectiveness of new drugs and safety testing which tries to establish whether substances and products such as cosmetics are harmful. Strict animal welfare laws control the use of laboratory animals in this country and the go ahead is only given for experiments if no alternative method is available and that any suffering and distress is kept to a minimum. Without experiments on animals, it is argued that it would be far harder to find cures for dangerous illnesses or discover if products are safe for humans to use. Critics of animal experiments claim that over 100 million animals suffer and die throughout the world each year as a result of experiments, most without the benefit of any form of anaesthetic. Animals which do not die during an experiment, may be killed later so that they can be examined. Unlike human volunteers, who can choose to take part in medical tests, animals have no such option. How useful are experiments on animals anyway ? Animals are not that similar to humans and every year, drugs which were successfully tested on animals have to be withdrawn because they have unexpected side effects on humans. Is it time to put an end to all animal experiments or is it an essential method of research ?

[|Zoos]
 * Related topics** : [|Bloodsports], [|Endangered species], [|Factory farming], [|Fur trade],

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A short essay explaining why animals are important for medical research  []

A short essay arguing against the use of animals in experiments

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The Church of England’s view on animal rights

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The pros and cons of experimenting on animals

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The ethics and moral issues relating to animal welfare are looked at through a number of links from this site for schools

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This site looks at frequently asked questions on animal welfare from the point of view of veganism