Animal Cruelty Awareness

Some forms of animal testing are scientific, and are necessary for medical advances and to save human lives, but there are many different types of animal testing that are cruel and unnecessary for society. There is technically no law in the United States that prohibits any experiments in lab, even the most painful and unnecessary ones. The Animal Welfare Act is the only law in place that protects some rights of animals, but it is weakly enforced does not protect cold-blooded animals, birds, mice, or animals that are commonly used for food. Even under the AWA, animals can still be electrically shocked, burned, starved, and hooked up to all kinds of machines, as long as the laboratory that the experiment is held is clean (PETA).
Each year, a few million different animals suffer and die in cruel tests to determine the safety of different cosmetics and other household items. Substances ranging from eye shadow, soap, furniture polish, to oven cleaner are tested on rabbits, mice, guinea pigs, dogs, monkeys and other animals, despite the fact that test results do not truly help prevent or treat human illness or injury because the tests are not normally reliable (MFA).
Below is a picture of albino rabbits that are locked up so their heads cannot move. The tests done on these rabbits include dropping a liquid, granule, or powdered substance of a cosmetic or soap into the eyes (MFA). The rabbits do not normally receive any type of anesthetic during the testing, and their eyelids are often held open with clips. These innocent rabbits often break their necks while trying to break free from the brace that holds them (MFA).





This is only one example of animal testing, and is by far not even the cruelest of the different experiments out there. The truth is, there is no law requiring animal testing for these cosmetic and household products, the FDA just requires that each ingredient in the product is proved “adequately substantiated for safety” before sale. Most testing methods are solely up to the manufacturer (MFA).

“Animals Used for Experimentation." PETA. Accessed Apr. 2009. .

“Cosmetic Testing." Mercy For Animals. Accessed Apr. 2009. .