What do you think about companies doing animal studies?

[lizbud]

I could write a whole boring dissertation rebutting a lot of the con stuff, but why bother? People will believe what they will believe. I think animal testing s*x too, but you KNOW if someone did happen to go to Phase I too fast and people died, there would be an ENORMOUS row.

Believe me, I could do it with the opposite viewpoin as well, but will keep
their same old habits & beliefs unless they take it upon themselves to seek
out the truths about vivisection.

Science has well passed the days when this practice had any relevance.


http://www.navs.org/site/PageServer?pagename=index

[IRescue452]

I always heard beagles were used because of their high pain tolerance.

[lizbud]

I always heard beagles were used because of their high pain tolerance.

It's more for their docile nature. Isn't that ironic?

[crow_noir]

I just wanted to add in addition to my reply that this is what I'd like to see done FIRST.

Once a product has been considered safe by the toxicity's reports, THEN before product release have a small group test it.

I'm sorry, but i don't want to be using a shampoo on my dog that hasn't been tested for safety. (as example)

Cincy'sMom's post ...I applaud companies like that.

I too work in an area where I have first hand knowledge of animal testing. I am not directly involved in it myself, as I work for a chemistry depratment, where we are actaully looking to minimize animal testing. We encourage our clients to use chemistry to understand and predict the toxicology of their products before any animals are used. We also do as much testing as possible through in vitro (test tube) methods, again, to gather as much information ahead of time before any animals are exposed.

Our company tests strictly medical devices (no cosemetics) and as Smokey said, it is required and tightly control by the FDA. We may not like it, but the fact is every pharmcuetical and every medical device we use every day has to go through this testing.

Another way we are trying to reduce animal testing is through equivlency. A company may have a medical deivce approved, and then a supplier changes a material. The FDA requires this be retested, however if they can use chemistry to show there is no change in the toxilogical impact of the change, animal testing can be reduced, or avoiding all together.

... and rather than make a third post I'll just use this one.

I know of a dog food company where even though there is extensive research done before the food even came into being (and continues yet today,) even though EVERY batch is tested for everything imaginable under the sun , the animals (of the employees) who are fed the company's food are fondly called their test subjects. Yes, fondly. The founder is very proud of his company, and so are the employees. (Of course the pets are considered family members too and live at home.)

My point is that not all animal testing is shots, make-up, and vivisection.

P.S. And if it weren't for animal testing and greed we would never have had Elk Velvet Antler and King would have left this world sooner. The history of EVA in the U.S. is a dark and shadowy one. The only gain the company hiring the initial research expected to see was into their pockets. They expected it to be another trick to the American public. Little did they know that this Ancient Chinese medicine is one of the most real cures with next to zilch side effects (stomach upset in human females ...and King ) What's the lives of a few dogs eh? We'll test it on them first. Well, the results were surprisingly phenomenal! Great news for the dogs. Every now and then the animals win one back... and they deserve every win they can get.

[jackie]

I don't agree with animal testing for cosmetics, house hold products, or "superficial" things, but believe they are needed for medical advance.

TO those of you who are 100% against animal testing, how many clinical trials would you volunteer for?

[CathyBogart]

How in the world can people say that animals don't benefit from these tests as well?! We can now put false joints or false eyes into our pets, we have millions more medications available to them than we did just a decade ago, and procedures that were unheard of in HUMANS not long ago are now being performed to save our beloved pets.

I have a LOT more to say on this subject since I hope to work in an animal research lab once I graduate, but I have to go to work.