Animal Cruelty

Paper Summary:

The paper first analyzes the history of using animals for experimentation, and then explains the British Cruelty to Animals Act of 1876.The paper concludes by explaining the reasons why it is unethical to use animals for experimentation, and why the trend must be halted.

Outline:
Introduction
Discussion
Conclusion

From the Paper:

"The term 'cruelty' in itself is defined by the Webster's Dictionary as "causing, or of a kind to cause pain, distress, etc. cruel implies indifference to the suffering of others." (Paul; Elder, 211) What this means is that cruelty can encompass the means by which an innocent is forced to experience pain, for some purpose of the inflictor's own, which he could stop if he wished to, but does not. This would bring us to the actual point: in what way is cruelty to animals justifiable in the name of science? Why must an animal be made to suffer untold pain and misery, just so that scientists could analyze and experiment with drugs or scientific methods meant for human beings? As a matter of fact, even common household items, cosmetics, and shampoos, soaps, furniture polish and oven cleaners are tested on animals before they are approved and marketed for humans. For example, a few drops of liquid or granules are dropped into a rabbit's eyes, to test whether it causes irritation, and if does, then the human being would benefit, because the shampoo would be withdrawn, improved, and tested again, and yet again, while the poor creature would suffer untold misery on account of the testing procedures. At times, animals are immobilized in stocks, wherein their heads alone may protrude, and experiments are then conducted, with no anesthesia to dull the pain."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Bridgstock, Martin. Science, technology and society. Cambridge University Press. 1998.
• Covino, Joseph. Lab animal abuse, vivisection exposed. Epic Press. 1990.
• Greek, C. Ray; Greek, Jean Swingle. Sacred Cows and Golden geese: The human cost of experimentation on animals. Continuum International Publishing Group. 2002.
• Houde, Lise J. A database survey of primate research in Asia, Journal of Postgraduate Medicine, vol. 50, no. 4, 2004, p. 256.
• Kuhse, Helga; Singer, Peter. A companion to bioethics. Blackwell Publishing. 1998.

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