Step 6

In today’s society, animal testing and factory farming are necessary for our survival. Testing drugs and medical procedures helps to ensure that they are safe for human use. Currently, animal testing is the most efficient method to perform these tests. On the other hand, animal testing is not necessary for the experimentation of cosmetics or household products because these items do not save human lives. In these cases, alternatives to animal testing such as stem cells, tissue samples, or computer models should be used whenever appropriate.
In addition to animal testing, factory farming is necessary to supply the nation with enough meat and animal food products. The limited farmland and increased demand for food in this nation has required farmers to maximize the efficiency of their farms. This means confining lots of animals in small spaces, although the treatment of these animals needs not be so hostile. There are ways to decrease the sufferings of farm animals without affecting the output of these farms, including, “1) Provide either prompt veterinary care or euthanasia to all downer cows and pigs, 2) kill every male layer chick using a gas other than carbon dioxide, 3) improve standards for stunning poultry and livestock at slaughterhouses, 4) ban farrowing and gestation crates for breeder sows, and 5) provide a local anesthetic to calves and piglets prior to castration,” (Marcus 55). These cases should be enforced upon farm owners by the government, although they already do not enforce existing restrictions on large scale farming.
Marcus, Erik. Meat Market: Animals, Ethics, and Money. Boston: Brio Press, 2005.