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Animals in laboratories and the ethics of animal research - Coggle Diagram
Animals in laboratories and the ethics of animal research
Expectations of scientists doing animal research
Scientists should have respect and empathy for all animals that they may work on in their research
Any responsible and ethical scientist would want to avoid any suffering that an animal may experience and should do their best to achieve that goal
Key ethical considerations
There are strict rules and regulations in place to ensure high standards for ethical research
Is it acceptable for non-human animals to experience any discomfort or pain for the purposes of such research?
Animal welfare should always be weighed against health benefits
Scientific Merit
A process to ensure that the plan meets expectations and that the research will contribute to the literature in the discipline or field.
How do you determine the merit of the research?
If merit is established: how much suffering is acceptable?
Sci-Mer would be acceptable if the research is for serious medical purposes such as cancer research, as opposed to the development of cosmetics
Alternatives for the use of animals, of which there are many, should be fully considered
Is experiencing pain for the purpose of research acceptable?
If animals are the only option for the research, suffering must be minimized
If the research is for serious medical purposes such as cancer research, as opposed to the development of cosmetics
At what point is the responsibility of the scientist to research alternatives to minimize that pain?
Unethical cases
Baby mice had their legs cut to learn if they would groom themselves with their stumps
Polar bears were submerged in a tank of crude oil and salt water to see if they would live (Santa Clara University, Of Cures and Creatures Great and Small by Claire Andre and Manuel Velasquez)
Experimenters castrated five young monkeys, chopped their testicles into tiny pieces, and then regrew these organs on their backs in an attempt to produce viable sperm (
https://www.peta.org.uk/blog/6-horrific-experiments/
)
A mother octopus and her eggs were captured from the ocean so that experimenters in the US could use her offspring to test psychiatric drugs (
https://www.peta.org.uk/blog/6-horrific-experiments/
)
The Sociozoological Scale
The Sociozoologic scale is a system of meaning that ranks species as good or bad according to their social, cultural, and moral value to humans
Some animals are excluded in these rules
This gives others the impression that those animals are equipment for an experiment instead of living, breathing beings
Scientists should have respect and empathy for ALL animals they may work on in their research
Their place on the sociozoologic scale or “utility” value shouldn’t matter
We should have the same moral obligation to all species of animals regardless of the size of the animal and the worth society has placed on them
The reality is that many animals and insects are used in research due to their insignificant worth in society
Conclusion
I think that our moral obligation to animals would be to respect all living creatures and ensure that amendments are placed to protect animals that are undergoing research processes
I also think that the same emphasis should be placed on insects such as fruit flies, since although they don't have societal importance they are still living creatures and should be treated as such.
Causing animals discomfort or pain for non-medical reasons or for scientific curiosity should not be allowed
How social media impacts this
What You Can Do: Please click the button below to take five crucial actions – firing off e-mails to decision-makers and adding your name to petitions and open letters – to help animals trapped in laboratories. It only takes 30 seconds, and every signature makes a difference for animals. (
https://www.peta.org.uk/blog/6-horrific-experiments/
)
Today the ASPCA®(The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®) released the results of a new survey* conducted by Edge Research which reveals the positive impact social media has had on the animal shelter and rescue community. According to more than 800 shelter, rescue and municipal animal agency professionals and volunteers surveyed, use of social media among this group is on the rise and communication tools like Facebook, Instagram and Twitter have helped generate increased public support and make it possible for them to save the lives of more animals in need (
https://www.aspca.org/about-us/press-releases/new-research-points-social-media-important-tool-animal-shelters-and-rescues
)
Animal Welfare and Social Media – Is the Internet an Ally of Animals? (
https://cjdproject.web.nctu.edu.tw/2021/08/30/animal-welfare-and-social-media-is-the-internet-an-ally-of-animals/
)
9 Creative Ways to Help Spread the Cruelty-Free Message -
thefuzzydot
on Instagram creates adorable doodles about animal-related issues and they sometimes incorporate cruelty-free products into their doodles! Such a creative way to use one’s artistic abilities to spread awareness! (
https://ethicalelephant.com/9-creative-cruelty-free-message/
)
Social Networking Against Animal Cruelty - (
https://www.britannica.com/explore/savingearth/online-activism-against-animal-cruelty
)
Humans have taken over social media in support of animals (
https://www.thecanary.co/trending/2018/04/24/humans-have-taken-over-social-media-in-support-of-animals/
)