by Brandy W. Walt
Animal experimentation, often veiled under the guise of scientific progress, has been used for decades to test medicines, chemicals, food and for a variety of other use cases. The scale of animal experiments is massive, with estimates ranging from 50 million to over 100 million animals tortured and killed in U.S. laboratories each year, including dogs, cats, monkeys, rabbits, mice and many other animals. The White Coat Waste Project estimates the annual cost of these experiments to taxpayers to be around $20 billion dollars each year.
Oftentimes, “scientific” experiments involve exceedingly cruel and senseless procedures. For example, a global investigation from Peta found animal experiments that:
- Drugged alligators with ketamine, attached head-restraining devices to their snouts with cement, drilled holes into their skulls, and attached electrodes to their brains
- Removed the teeth and cut apart the gums of dogs
- Castrated monkeys and then regrew their testicles
These are just a few examples of the thousands of hideous animal experiments performed on a routine basis.
At its core, animal experimentation is a form of exploitation. Animals, like humans, can feel pain, fear, and stress. Yet, millions of animals are subjected to torture and painful acts of violence and suffering in the name of human benefit. The Humane Party stands firmly against this practice, viewing it as a clear violation of animal rights and a criminal act. Just as humans are not subjected to experimentation without consent, neither should non-human animals, whose lives and well-being are equally valuable.
The Humane Party envisions a future where animal experimentation is a thing of the past. Just as society has evolved to recognize the rights of various marginalized groups, it’s imperative to extend that recognition to animals. By transitioning to cruelty-free alternatives, we can protect both animals and human lives, fostering an ethical and effective approach to scientific research.
Brandy W. Walt
U.S. Presidential Candidate
The Humane Party
The Humane Herald 