Ethical considerations on animal testing.

Using animals as testing grounds has been a long-observed practice especially in the

field of medicine. Often times, drugs and procedures that are deemed too unstable for human

beings are tested on animals. They provide a subject that the researchers and scientists can

observe and study without putting any human lives in peril. However, every now and then,

there have been a quite a number of arguments that have challenged this practice. In this part,

we will discuss the ethical considerations on animal testing.

One of the first main considerations when it comes to the ethical considerations on

animal testing according to the Norwegian National Committee for Research Ethics in Science

and Technology (NENT) is that animals have intrinsic value and thus, must be respected. 1 This

can be clearly seen in the vital role the animals play in our ecosystem. Without them, or the

mere depletion of a specific species or sub-species of animal may lead to the food chain

collapsing. Everything in nature balances itself out and without this balance, catastrophic

changes are bound to occur. Because of this, we must recognize the extremely important role

animals play in our ecology. Thus, the intrinsic value of animals must always be taken into

consideration.

According to the same article, animals are sentient creatures with the capacity to feel

pain.2 Furthermore, according to various scientific studies and research conducted on this
1
https://www.forskningsetikk.no/en/guidelines/science-and-technology/ethical-guidelines-for-the-use-of-animals-
in-research/
2
Ibid.
matter, it was shown that animals in fact feel and react to pain. Being sentient creatures,

animals have given their own volition. Because of this they are said to be capable of their own

choice and free will. In the process of using them as test subjects for medical procedures, this

element of free will, and choice are often disregarded as they are either raised in a laboratory

or soured from the wild for the sole purpose of conducting a medical test. Ethical groups have

long challenged this practice citing that such practices are inhumane to animals and thus must

be abolished. However, researches continue to prevail because it is far safer for the said test to

be run on animals than to use them outright on human beings. In essence, the animals are used

to buffer the danger for using such drugs and/or procedures so that humans can remain

relatively safe from untowardly danger.

Lastly, the same article also cited that the treatment of human beings of animals are an

expression of their influences and is a good indicator of their morality. 3 This means that the

mannr of how human beings treat the animals that are used for animal testing must always be

taken into consideration because it is a good showing of their morality and influence. Thus, if an

animal is tested humanely or not is a direct reflection of the researcher’s character as a person.

Because of this, humans must always observe ethical considerations so that the process which

include animal testing are considered humane and safe for the animals because it could paint a

bad picture of one’s morality and character.

3
Ibid.
 Because of the three main considerations previously mentioned, there have been a

number of rules or considerations set forth by different government and non-government

agencies to ensure that animal testing is safe. Amongst these are the popular “Four Rs” on

animal testing namely Replaced, Reduction, Refined.4

“Replace” means that the responsibility to replace animals sourced from the wild with

the same species falls upon the person(s) who shall opt to use such for animal testing. It

becomes the responsibility of the same to essentially replace what he took from nature.

Because it is extremely hard to produce and reintroduce animals in the wild, such practice must

always be observed. A good workaround are lab raised animals such as rates which were

technically made in the laboratories as well. These animals were raised specifically for the

purpose of testing. Thus, they do not affect the ecology outside the confines of the laboratory.

This forms a sustainable manner of using animals for clinical test without affecting their

population in the wild. Hence, their intrinsic value in the ecosystem is preserved.

On the other hand, “Reduce” entails that the number of animals used are to be

minimized insofar as to those only absolutely needed for the procedures. By doing so, the

impact on the ecology when using such animals in research and testing are further minimized.

In essence, the researchers only take what they need from nature in order to avoid a large-scale

catastrophic collapse in the ecology. It must be noted that a lowered population of a single

species could lead to many more problems in the future due to their link with other living things

4
https://www.enago.com/academy/important-ethical-considerations-animal-studies/
with the role they play in the balance in nature. By observing this ethical practice, we create

another safeguard for the human disposition of animals who are sentient beings and who’s

intrinsic value must always be taken into consideration.

Lastly, “Refined” means that the studies conducted prior to testing animals must be

refined in a manner where it may be conducted in the most efficient way possible while

ultimately minimizing the chance of wasting resources. The studies conducted must be refined

to the point that one can say that they are very much well thought of and thus minimizes the

chance to fail. If such practice is observed, in essence, the animals due for testing don’t ge used

in vain as the data collected from the said tests go through a process where they can be

deemed most useful. It is widely believed that it is unethical for a person to test animals and

send in data that is not useful. What happens in that said scenario is that the animal is put

through unwanted strees, pain and the like for something that has little to no value. Thus,

refining ones study is very crucial in the ethical manner of animal testing.

The grey area of this all is how some of the data collected from animals may not be used

for humans after all. 5 This is seen as a major ethical concern because if such data collected

from animal testing is deemed not useful for human application, then it would follow that the

animals were put through stress for nothing. This is a grey area in the ethical manner of using

animals to test clinical drugs and procedures because there is no way to be certain that the

data gathered from the animals will yield the same results for human beings. Because of this

5
https://www.bbc.co.uk/ethics/animals/using/experiments_1.shtml
uncertainty, some animal welfare groups have shown concern with regard to the use of animal

testing.

However, granted that there are instances when these things happen, through the

decades and/or centuries of animal testing, technology has advanced to the point wherein the

researches are more capable of identifying which practices and at what specific stages such

tests can be conducted to get optimum results which are useful to human beings. What this

means is that through technology the aforementioned gray area has become smaller and

smaller. As we move on, it is with utmost hope by these researchers to further minimize the

said gray areas.

While there are many concerns with regard to animal testing, there have been just as

much safeguards that were put up as well. Even local legislation has helped make animal testing

more ethical and not be subjected to abuse. In the Philippines alone, Republic Act 8485 or

better known for as the animal welfare act specifically allows for animal testing. However, the

said law punishes unwarranted torture and death for animals.6 This clearly illustrates how

animal testing could be done humanely and have safeguards towards its application. There shall

be penal clauses enacted specifically for those who abuse animals while at the same time,

specifically provides for an exception for the purpose of scientific and educational research.

6
https://lawphil.net/statutes/repacts/ra1998/ra_8485_1998.html#:~:text=It%20shall%20be%20unlawful%20for,or
%20maltreat%20or%20use%20the
 Animal testing, in its own right, is an indispensable component of research and

development in the medical field. Through testing such on animals prior to humans, the danger

of putting a human’s life at risk is exponentially reduced. Without further developments in

technology which, in turn, will make animal testing a dispensable act, such practice may be

seen to be continued in the near future. This is because it as timely as the pandemic caused by

the COVID 19 virus where the health of the entire population of the world was in peril, animal

testing has been useful to observe effects of different drugs and vaccines.

Being indispensable in the process of medical and clinical research, animal testing also

mitigates the harm done on any human being already afflicted by some illness. The same

condition might appear to an animal, be studied and then such application may be then

transferred to humans.

The medical use and efficacy of testing animals greatly helps the research and

development process of drugs that can be steamrolled and used for people especially in these

times of pandemic. However, no matter how dire any situation is, it must always be noted that

such practices should have safeguards and limitations. The animal’s welfare must always be

taken into consideration. Thankfully, there have been guidelines put in place both locally and

internationally to aid in the human manner of animal testing. Furthermore, there have been

legislations passed in order to facilitate such safeguards better.

 As indispensable as animal testing may be in the realms of medical and scientific

research, the above-mentioned guidelines ensure that the welfare of such sentient beings being

used as commodities in the plight of medicine and science are taken good care of. It is the most

human manner to make sense of using animals for medical testing purposes. At the end of the

day it is the last thing that us, human beings, sentient being could do to at the very least

safeguard these animals who serve as pillars of the medical and scientific developments

through animal testing.