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Deep in my heart somewhere I want to say yes, it is morally wrong, please free the animals; yet I know I probably would not be alive today if animals weren't used for medical research. I suffer from a chronic disease and take several prescription drugs, and all of which I can guarantee had preclinical animal testing. Animals are not just used for testing pharmaceuticals; they are also used in testing of chemicals, vaccines, cosmetics, food additives, and pesticides. Animal testing is also not limited to mice and dogs; you can ass fish, rabbits, cats, and non-human primates to the list. It is sad, but millions of people would be dead and the average life span of a human would be dramatically lower were it not for animal testing.

The saddest part is that I love dogs and I would do just about anything to save a dog from harm. I have two beagles of my own, and beagles are the most common dog used in animal testing. British laboratories carry out tests on behalf of some Japanese and American companies, and of the 8,018 dogs used for research in the UK, 7,799 were beagles. That was in 2004. It was very difficult at first for me to accept the fact that animals are used to test everything from shampoo to antibiotics. On the other hand, major developments that have led to Nobel peace prizes have involved animal research, including organ transplantation. The chronic disease I mentioned earlier is kidney failure and I have been waiting for a transplant for over five years. If those animals hadn't sacrificed their lives in the name of science, where would I be?

I am all in favor of human experimentation. Vivisection is surgery upon a living organism, but can also mean non-behavioral experimental research on animals. In ancient times prisoners were used in vivisection; even as recently as World War II where prisoners were subject to this torture by the Germans and the Japanese.. I am not promoting this idea, obviously moral standards all over the world have evolved since then, but some human experimentation (other than the standard clinical trials people volunteer for) could be helpful and save some animals lives. Who would volunteer to test a product that may or may not be dangerous? Perhaps someone who does not have long to live, like someone with terminal cancer. Even better, someone who is waiting in line for the gas chamber. Some would say it is immoral and unethical to subject humans to experimental research, but if they volunteer, for whatever reason, I say go for

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