Should Animals Be Used for Scientific Research?

Nina Smith

Contemporary Moral

12/8/2014

Should Animals be used for Scientific Research?

        Today scientific research is always needed for educational purposes such as how to eliminate or reduce killing diseases, and to see if the tested research is worth the act of scientists to move forward. Many people agree that using animals to do research is beneficial to humans and non-humans. The evidence shows that when animals are used for research, they are cared scientifically and that research on animals is not used when it shall cause pain. If pain is suspected, then what need to be used are non-animals or computer models.

        The essence of the problem with animals being used in research was from the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. At that time they had enormous implications for our understanding of the differences and the similarities between nonhuman and us. Medieval times have made it easy to focus on what they did not know. Bacteria or cells was nothing they knew. Biology was unknown to them. Medieval life was undeniably and harsh and ignorant.  The views in the medieval times were shaped by religion and philosophical theories. Since then, they had three hundred years of modern science and machine technologies more evolved. The machines provided the Renaissance ways to try and understand the anatomy and physiology of humans and nonhuman animals for the first time. The medieval times had three power sources: water power, wind power, and animal power. The power sources with animals had been sources since ancient times.

        Moving forward in today’s times, they have the knowledge of biology and they have created The Animal Welfare Act that protects our animals. The Animal Welfare Act was passed in 1966, because there were reports in an article of the sale of a stolen pets to research facilities. However, the basic animals that are not used for research such as rats, mice, and birds are not covered by the Animal Welfare Act. The Public Health Service Policy is what covers rats, mice, and birds when federal funding is used in facilities. Research that has association with developments has been mainly in occurrence since the 1960’s. In the territory of ideas there are two key distinctions that are a part of the cause and effect of the rise of energy of the animal rights. First, it is about the ones who defend animal welfare and the view that higher moral statuses should be given to animals. Second, the moral theory that is more or less similar for animals to humans. The humans have learned that animals do sense pleasure and pain that they have accepted that what they do to them that matters.

        Nonhumans do show that they indicate the feelings of pain and sensations in certain ways by the way they behave. Scientists do respect the fact that they have the opportunity of using nonhumans for research by what they have overcome by having the abilities to do such research. Back in the early centuries when this first evolved to be an issue, it was known that nonhuman’s painful noises were known as mechanical noises. It has changed because nonhumans are not machines, so the issue of animal pain had to be addressed. Centuries ago, it was determined that nonhumans can feel pain by having an animal nailed to a table to dissect and show the mesenteric veins. They had discovered that they had the same organs of feelings that are in humans.  

        According to the IACUC (The University’s Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee) when animals are needed for research, there is a form (Animal Usage Form) that needs to be filled out in order for them to get approved for the order. The IACUC is able to keep track of the animal usage for research. The IACUC is established by research institutions to review all proposed animal experiments. The research facilities under the IACUC are required to be inspected more often. When transferring of animals is needed from one research lab to another to complete their research, it does not have to be approved by an RAR (Research Animal Resources) veterinarian or the IACUC. A transfer form needs to be filled out prior to approval. It makes sure that the animals are cared for in the correct ways that a veterinarian would approve of. If help is needed of a route, RAR may be contacted to assist. The animals need to be delivered from one RAR lab to another RAR lab.

        Routine animal care is provided by trained laboratory animal care staff. The care that is recommended and required by all staff, is assigned by their supervisors with the specific responsibilities to make sure that the needed care is provided for all animals. Daily care for all animals is making sure all beds and cages are cleaned and changed with fresh water. Standard diets for feeding are followed with the daily care provided. All animals must have identification collar, tag or tattoo that matches their cage cards. Physical well-being is promoted every day with exercise, manipulative activities and challenges to overcome. By doing all of this before an animal is considered for research, it helps allow the research to flow smoothly before time comes.

        There are certain environments that can cause stress on any animal. The main stressors that may lead to stress and distress on animals would be the lightning, noises, temperatures, any kind of vibration and facility maintenance. In order not to cause stress on research animals, they have to make sure that the labs have housing or places for animals to hide when their scared or stressed. Another stressor of animals in research is not making sure that animals are housed appropriately with their groups (Avoiding, Minimizing, and Alleviating Distress, 2008). It has been founded that social housing does not create stress nor is it harmful on the animals in research. Social groups that are established early need to stay established. All disruptions of animals establishments needs to stay minimal, as studied with mice, rabbits, and cats.