Some people believe that we should not use animals for our advantage, specifically in the medical field, while others disagree, suggesting that it should be regarded as a normal practice. Although I understand that animal welfare is crucial, I align with the latter view, since species play a crucial role in testing new pills before introducing them to the public.
Exploiting different species for our own needs may sometimes seem unethical. By putting animals’ health at jeopardy and testing newly suggested drugs on them, researchers risk facing harsh criticism from those in favor of animal welfare. Some even fear that the number of some species may decline or, worse, animals may have to live with symptoms in the aftermath of different studies. Rabbits and mice are typical exmaples of species that are often taken to a laboratory, and there has been no shortage of cases indicating a negative influence on species’ well-being. Take the case of the drug failure in the UK. Several rabbits were given new medication, but after some time those animals could not move and had to live with a chronic pain for the rest of their lives due to a single laboratory experiment.
However, given the fact that researchers are also careful with choosing animals for their studies and conduct research in accordance with strict rules, the negative sides of this trend are often overshadowed by the advantages. For scientific and medical research, individuals specifically choose smaller species that are abundant and not on the verge of extinction, leaving no room for concerns about animal population decline. Beyond this careful action, testing pills on animals allows medical professionals to provide reliable medication for different health complications, without putting millions of lives at risk. Sacrificing one small animal seems more feasible than risking several thousands of lives because of the drug failure. For example, vaccines are also tested on animals first to ensure that they will not have any side-effects on people. If it were not for this method of analyzing the impact of pills on health, many people would have been skeptical about receiving medicine altogether.
To conclude, while the point of exploiting animal welfare is valid since that can result in worsened health condition for animals, I contend that from a broader perspective, using species for medical purposes is widely advantageous and the only way how researchers can test drugs.