What are your opinions on animal testing? When is it okay? Is it ever okay?

i think its ok when scientists are trying to find cures for diseases in humans. but that comes from having afamily full of diabetics, my grandmother having parkinsons and multiple heart attacks through out.

I agree with Kariva. When it may be beneficial in finding cures for deadly diseases I support it. If it's for testing some companies mascara or perfume, NO WAY!

I support the ALF. Nuff said.

Sorry to be ignorant, but what is the ALF?

The Animal Liberation Front. And I, too, support them Yowo.

Thanks! I'll have to look into them...

They're extremely radical, so I'm expecting to make a new topic on the discussion of them soon enough.

i don't mind non invasive animal testing. i visited an animal research facility as part of my schooling and i wanted to be one of their mice. They were housed in air tight, tripple filtered little bubbles, no more than three mice to a "bubble". The air in that room was WONDERFUL! three times a day they were checked, cleaned and fed and data collected (i believe they were a drug testing group, antibiotics i think). each cube of bubbles was assigned a care technician and unlealthy animals were removed from testing and that problem documented. i asked if i could have my own bubble and live there, they just laughed at me.

i do not like it.

i am sure to buy products that have not been tested on animals if i can. my make up and beauty products are not animal tested and actually those products are the most tested on animals.

I know alot of advancements in medicine have come from animal testing. and that is where the conflict comes in for me.

i think if you have to do it, then do it as humanelt as possible, under the direct care and concern of an animal welfare groupe and a veterinarian.

I think that, being idealistic, as soon as they realize that a drug is effecting an animal, they should treat it instead of just letting it die a painful death. There's no reason that the scientists need to see the animal actually die to know the strength of the thing they are testing on the animal. Once symptoms begin to show they should treat the animal, or atleast humanely euthanize it.

i agree, no need for it to actually die.

Laws are being proposed everyday about the welfare of laboratory animals, some have passed some havent but conditions have greatly improved in the last few yrs.

it can always improve though.

I mean previous generations didnt need to test things on animals and they actually lived longer than we do today (ancient times)

In my opinion, if a products ingredients NEED to be tested on an animal to see if its safe for human consumption, then it should not be something used by us at all !!!!!!

i dont care what the outcome of those tests are, if it needs to be tested at all, that is a signal to me that it is something we shouldnt be using to begin with

There goes the cure for AIDS. I guess some Medical stuff needs to be tested, but I agree with 3buds, they should have a vet on call at all times and should not let the animal die. No need for that.

I find laboratory testing for animals for humans stuff is outrageous. i agree with helwa, if it has to be tested to work then obvious its not safe in the first place and no matter wat will be harmful to us in one way or another. And for the cure for Aids... its a virus more than likely there is no cure... there's only treatment, I don't believe in letting animals be the testers i believe that if someone wants the cure/treatment badly enough then they should volunteer themselves for the testing!
then again.. this is all personal preference and opinion here.

i agree about the vet but i have so many diseases in my family that as long as the animal isnt suffering i dont see it as wrong. how do we know that they werent testing on things thousands of years ago? i think there is a line that should be drawn but we do need to have some testing for medicatoins. i know you guys dont like to add foreing stuff into your body if it could potentially harm you. what if your body is harming you say diabetes. you have no choice but to do that. keiths cousin almost died a couple weeks ago from juvenile diabetes. if somewhere down the line nobody had tested different kinds of insulin the pumps the glucose meters she would be dead. that is something you cant test on humans. if you give a healthy person insulin or glucotabs it can cause them to become diabetic. yes poor animals get sick and possibly die but honestly i would rather have that than have my family members die. i dont dispute your reasonings or feel malice towards any of them but remember we can all have our opinions so i really hope you dont flame what i have said. be in my shoes and look at all the angles then decide.

OH no, your opinion is totally right w/ me as well.. i was talking more along the line of like.. stupid pills and things that people don't need to take, granted the human life is more valuable than an animals, but still certain things i think shouldn't be done on animals.

You stole the words right out of my mouth ...

Also, can't they give these animals pain killers so they don't suffer? Of course, they're just animals so who really cares about the pain they feel?

did you guys miss that they dont test glucose or insulin on humans those NEED to be tested so that my family members dont die or get sicker

No, I did not miss that Kariva.

lol ok i need a new avatar i forget who i am when i post!

Why did you take your previous one down?

because i posted about a family issue and it had myslf and my husbands pics in it

This is a difficult topic for me and something I have not made up my mind on yet. Deep down I feel bad for the animals that are tested on. I also had an aunt who died from cancer recently and if a cure for cancer can be found by using animals, than I can understand.
However, I really wish there was another way to find cures and test meds. Maybe one day medicine will advance enough to where live animals will not have to be used.

I also agree with helwa and stephen, the animals should still be treated humanely and not have to die while suffering.

I am totally against animals being used for cosmetics and other unnecessary products that are not needed for survival. Everytime botox is used on a person, it is tested on an animal in order to get the right amount for each treatment and these animals suffer a horrible death.

I took out that picture for you, Amber. Here you go

http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o117/3budgies/kariva.gif

Now let's get back to the topic of animal testing, if you please

I had no idea of this. That's just sickening.

In an ideal world, yes. However, most all things have to be tested to be manufactured.

I do use cosmetics that are not animal tested (though I use very few anyway!).

The medical world is, as most of you have already said, where it gets confusing. It is important to find cures for many ailments. As someone else said, my genetics are bombarded with diabetes and heart disease. With out testing, there would be little advancement in these fields.

I also agree with Stephen in that, I would like to see the animals treated as humanly as is possible.

I often think that the people who are against all animal testing for any reason must be healthy and know only healthy people.
I am against animal testing for silly stuff like cosmetics.
However, animal testing is sometimes necessary for medical purposes.
My 65 year old dad unexpectedly died on September 23rd, 2006 from cardiac arrest. My heart breaks everyday from missing him. He was my best friend. If animal testing could let him still be here with me, then I am ok with it.

As much as I hate animal testing, look at what it has gotten us. Without it, we wouldn't have been able to cure any diseases and a ton of people would have died. Even though those animals have gone through countless things, would you rather your baby or your brother or your sister or you parent to be tested on instead? How about your friend? We picked animals (even though we are animals) because we have no special links, meaning love, like we do family or friends.

i was speaking about beauty products and food ... not medicine lol

in my opinion, beauty products are not a god given right, they are a a luxury as well as processed and manufactured foods.

if a beauty product has some ingredient in it that needs to be tested on an animal, chances are it should just not be used at all.


the beauty products i use arnet tested on animals at all and they work amazingly well, better than those that are. lol

and as for medicine thats the only thing i can accept animal testing for, although to be honest a pharacuetical company could care less about the outcome of such tests, they give it to us anyway then eat the lawsuit a decade later.

so those animals suffered for nothing as well as the humans who took the meds.

oooo ok. i totally agree about beauty products i wont buy them if they are animal tested why do we need it tested on them?

It seems like we all pretty much agree on this! That's good, but makes discussion not as interesting LOL.

I completely agree with you Helwa!

yes Stephen, unfortunately this is what happens for every botox treatment.

Bumping this back up -- anyone else got anything to add?