Letter to the editor: Testing on animals is unacceptable

Stop animal testing. Animal testing is becoming more common these days. Experimenting on animals is always unacceptable because it causes major suffering to animals.

It is estimated that more than 50 million animals are used in experiments each year in the United States. These animals are deliberately sickened with toxic chemicals or infected with diseases, live in barren cages and are typically killed when the experiment ends. The animals used in experiments include baboons, cats, cows, dogs, ferrets, fish, frogs, guinea pigs, hamsters, horses, llamas, mice, monkeys, owls, pigs, quail, rabbits, rats and sheep.

Animal experiments don't accurately mimic how the human body and human diseases respond to drugs, chemicals or treatments. Animals are very different from humans and, therefore, react differently.

Animal experiments are also time-consuming and expensive. Big brands we all know use animal tests, such as L'Oreal, Estee Lauder, Procter & Gamble, Clorox, Johnson & Johnson, S.C. Johnson and Colgate-Palmolive.

This testing is not just harmful for the animals, but also harmful for the environment. Toxic carcasses and tissues are most often incinerated, with many animal research facilities maintaining their own incinerators on-site. Airpollution is produced by the emission of gases resulting from the incineration of animalcarcasses and laboratory supplies, many of which contain toxins.

Overall, I can bet you wouldn’t want your pet tested, so why are we allowing others?

Madilyn Valentine, Jackson Township