IS ANIMAL TESTING A RIGHTEOUS PRACTICE?

 

If you are a person who consumes meat and animal products such as milk, leather and cheese and thinks that animal testing is unjustified, then you're showing double standards. I will not try to advocate for vegans but highlight the reality of the way humans have treated animals.

In order to protect animals all the best boarding schools in India spread awareness to promote good treatment of animals among all students. These steps can prove highly beneficial in future to save animals from exploitation.

Animals are the purest and friendly beings on this planet. We have not only bred them forcefully in factories but exploited them throughout the years without giving regard to their feelings. Humans are indeed inhumane in the way we excruciate animals. Animal testing is one of the byproducts of this heartless industry. We need to understand that the first and foremost issue is that there is no stringent law that protects or safeguards animals. We wait for an animal to reach extinction status for trying to implement laws to protect it. But that is too late. Animals like chickens, cows and rats are often in-bred and kept in clusters in crowded factories. They are fed chemicals to grow faster and produce more meat. Cows that do not produce milk are often abandoned and left to die. The poultry industry is cruel, and there is no moral justification for the way it is being run.

Topics related to animal welfare are included in the syllabus for many girls boarding schools in India. These initiatives have increased the understanding and need for the protection of animals.

Animal testing is part and parcel of this story. The term 'lab rats' has been popularised in culture as a norm. Animal testing refers to the use of chemical products (drugs, medicines, vaccines, commercial products, etc.) on animals to test their effects. The biggest difference between human testing and animal testing is that animals cannot provide consent. Humans think they have the right to harm an animal, destroy it' organs and ruin their skin just for a science experiment. The contrary is, however, challenging. We cannot test our products on humans as the laws prohibit it. We cannot test our products on machines either. Hence animals are the safest alternatives viable to us.

Let us understand the degree of righteousness in animal testing. Testing dermatological products such as fairness creams and other beauty enhancers on animals is not justified. These are commercial products that people do not need, but yet they buy it. That being said, animal testing is justified while trying out vaccines. Yes, a few animals may die, but it is for the greater good of saving a million lives. Rats are a huge problem in some cities, and it makes sense to keep their population in check through such sanctioned experiments. Many times monkeys are used in psychological testing centres. Even though they undergo life-threatening experiments, they must be treated with love and care. The least that can be expected from science is to always remain ethical.

Animal testing is a practice which is valid only for purely required scientific studies. It should not be misused and abused. There has to be a stricter law that protects these animals. The first thing is that the procurement of these animals must be government monitored. Animal trafficking is a huge problem, and often animals are obtained illegally from different smugglers. This needs to be stopped, and thus the government must involve itself in the procurement process. The second thing that needs to be done is the treatment of the animals in these facilities. There needs to be a good environment for these animals to live in and proper sanitation. The animals must have access to food and water and other animals to interact with. The basic services such as health check-ups and a balanced diet must be ascertained. Animals that are being tested must be documented by a third party. This means that if an experiment requires five monkeys, only 6 or 7 should be sanctioned for use. Just because science is involved doesn't mean that numerous animals are exploited for use. Pregnant animals must not be picked for such tests and under no circumstances should any family be separated for the sake of science. Basic humanity protocol must be followed.

The last measure is the penalizing body for breaking protocol. If anyone is unable to follow the simple rules that help protect these animals, they must be given heavy punishment. An example must be set for all that animal protection laws are serious, and sanctity of life must be maintained at all times.

Animal testing will never be justified, but until we have a better alternative, we must ensure we carry out our activities in the most humane way possible.