My name is Lindsay Oliver and I’m a former undercover animal cruelty investigator. The most psychologically traumatizing abuse I’ve ever witnessed has been inside animal experimentation labs.
Here are a few reasons why animal research needs to end...
Animal experimentation doesn’t work.
Ninety-five percent of drugs tested on animals fail in human clinical trials. Of the few that are approved, over half of them are recalled or relabeled for human safety issues.
People are against animal testing.
According to recent polls, over half of the U.S. public already oppose animal research, and the number in opposition is growing.
Scientists acknowledge its failure.
According to Richard Klausner, former Director of the National Cancer Institute,
“We have cured cancer in mice for decades—and it simply didn’t work in humans.”
Animal testing traumatizes animals.
Animals in labs are trapped in tiny cages and are often driven insane by these conditions. They cry, pound on cage walls, pace in circles, pull out their hair, and bite their fingers and arms out of frustration.
It traumatizes humans.
Many people working in labs struggle emotionally with what’s asked of them and how the animals are mistreated.
Madeline Krasno, a former animal caretaker at the University of Wisconsin said, “When you work in an environment where life is viewed as disposable, you either start to believe it’s true or dissociate and emotionally shut down to survive. I did the latter and have spent years struggling with PTSD as a result.”
Animal testing hurts progress.
By focusing on ineffective and outdated animal experiments, it hinders our efforts to find real cures. We need to stop investing in a failed system and start putting money toward alternatives using relevant human biology.
We’ll regret it.
One day, we will look back on how we treated animals in labs with overwhelming shame and disgust. For moral and ethical reasons, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) stopped experimenting on chimpanzees, and it’s time we did the same for all animals.
How You Can Help End Animal Testing
You can make a difference by not buying animal tested products, supporting organizations fighting to stop animal experimentation, spreading awareness on your social media channels and inner circles about the mistreatment of animals in labs, signing petitions and supporting active campaigns and legislation, and attending or organizing local events in your area. There are lots of ways you can get involved!
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