Animals

Cruelty of Animal Testing

Rabbits immobilized in wooden stocks with ulcers in their eyes; baby seals being clubbed over the head, and the infamous shock treatment. Broach the subject with an individual and odds are that they have witnessed footage of one or all of the aforementioned practices and are appalled by the cruelty. Appalled yes, willing to stand up and voice their thoughts... not often. There is one significant reason for this unwillingness by some to stand up for the rights of our fellow inhabitants of this planet, personal convenience. We are systematically cutting down the last forest that provides their shelter to farm cattle; we dump toxic chemicals and sewage into the waters in which they live; we wear the tusks of the last few of their species on our arms, and we pour cosmetic products into their eyes, rectums or vaginas to determine the harmful effects they might cause

on humans, even though the physiological differentiation between

humans and the animals they use is durastic. On a daily basis most

people do not see their own degree of unintentional support towards

this global dilemma, but when compiled on paper one must question how

mankind can, with conscience, commit these acts which shame us as

human beings. Animals possess the same kinds of feelings and emotions

as human beings, and without anesthesia, they are subjected to the

pain as well. Mankind often fails to give animals the respect and

rights they deserve, they are treated as lifeless, unfeeling

scientific specimens and items that we may manipulate at our own

convenience and for vanity's sake.

Laboratory research involving animals is cruel and merciless

treatment of helpless creatures. No law requires that cosmetics and

household products be tested on animals. Nevertheless, by six o'clock

this evening, hundreds of animals will have had their eyes, skin or

gastrointestinal systems unnecessarily burned or destroyed (Sequoia,

27). Two of the most famous animal tests are the Draize, or eye

irritancy test and the LD50, Lethal Dose 50. The Draize test is

performed almost exclusively on albino rabbits, such as the Florida

White, because they are cheap, docile, and are not "equipped" with

tear ducts to wash away the chemicals. During the test the rabbits are

immobilized in a stock with only their head protruding and a solid or

liquid is placed in the lower lid of one eye of the rabbit; substances

vary from mascara to aftershave and even oven cleaner. The rabbits

eyes are clipped open and observed at intervals of 1, 24, 48, 72 and

168 hours. It is important to note that, during this test, anesthesia

is rarely used. Reactions include inflammation, ulceration, rupture of

the eyeball, corrosion and bleeding. Some of these studies continue

for weeks, and all the while no measures are made to reduce suffering

or treat the rabbits.

Survival, however, will only lead to an entirely new set of

tests, such as the skin irritancy or the LD50. Lethal Dose 50 refers

to the lethal dose that is required to kill 50% of all animals in a

test group of 40-200. Animals are force fed substances through a

stomach tube, forced to inhale a substance, or have the substance

applied to their rectum or vagina. These tests continue until half of

the test animals die. During these tests animals will often endure

excruciating pain, convulsions, loss of motor function, seizures,

vomiting, paralysis and bleeding from every open orifice in the body.

Any animals who somehow manage to survive these particular tests are

subsequently destroyed (Sequoia, 29). There is also a Lethal Dose 100

test that determines the amount of a test substance required to kill

100% of the test animals. Ironically, results of these tests are

rarely, if ever, used in situation of actual human poisoning.

The skin irritancy test, similar to the eye irritancy test, is

where an animal, most commonly a rodent, has a highly concentrated

solution of a chemical in question applied to their skin. Their skin

is then observed for signs of irritancy, such as redness and

blistering. In some cases, the irritation can be so bad that the

product actually burns through the skin.

Not only are these tests cruel, but the results are unreliable

and unnecessary as scientific evidence. As with the aforementioned

Draize test; rabbits eyes are not the same as human eyes - there are

profound differences, mainly the absence of tear ducts. In addition,

different species react differently to various substances; substances

that fail to damage a rabbits eyes may be toxic to a human. For

example, nicotine is lethal to humans at 0.9mg/kg, but lethal dose

value of nicotine in dogs are a staggering 9.2mg/kg,