Household products, drugs and
medical procedures are all tested on animals. Make up testing on animals has
now been banned in the UK, however it still happens as it has to be phased out.
However things for medical uses are still used. Animals used for these
procedures are mainly mice and rats to start with, but then also rabbits and
sometimes dogs, and hundreds of these animals will be tested on every day by
lots of different companies, all testing for the same thing. The majority of legal testing for things on
animals is only done on non-endangered species. They usually have injections,
things in their eyes or onto their skin.
There are many welfare issues with product testing on animals. Even though the animals are kept clean and given food and fresh water all the time, this is only because the animals need to be kept healthy for the tests to work and rats are kept in very small enclosures that limits their natural behaviour, taking away one of their five freedoms. If the welfare of the animal was just about the five freedoms, then the rats wouldn’t really have any of them. The freedom from discomfort would not be here as often the chemicals they use cause irritation to the animal. Being injected often would probably cause them fear and distress, and some tests may also be causing pain to the animal, taking away two more freedoms. However, all rats being tested on for medical reasons are not counted under the Animal Welfare Act 2006.
Even though it is good that makeup testing has been banned and it is important to test for medical procedures, the animal’s welfare could definitely be better. Also, instead of lots of companies doing the same test, one company should just do it, as this would save thousands of lives, and millions of animals that have been in distress.
There are many welfare issues with product testing on animals. Even though the animals are kept clean and given food and fresh water all the time, this is only because the animals need to be kept healthy for the tests to work and rats are kept in very small enclosures that limits their natural behaviour, taking away one of their five freedoms. If the welfare of the animal was just about the five freedoms, then the rats wouldn’t really have any of them. The freedom from discomfort would not be here as often the chemicals they use cause irritation to the animal. Being injected often would probably cause them fear and distress, and some tests may also be causing pain to the animal, taking away two more freedoms. However, all rats being tested on for medical reasons are not counted under the Animal Welfare Act 2006.
Even though it is good that makeup testing has been banned and it is important to test for medical procedures, the animal’s welfare could definitely be better. Also, instead of lots of companies doing the same test, one company should just do it, as this would save thousands of lives, and millions of animals that have been in distress.