Humans have advanced fairly far over the past centuries. We’ve worked hard at attempting to resolve several social issues such as racism, sexism, homophobia, abuse, slavery. We’ve even eliminated a few of these problems entirely. However, there is one social issue in particular that is still quite common today, a heartless and cruel phenomenon. This issue is animal testing, and not only is it one of the most inhumane acts to commit, it is also still widely excepted.  

Animal’s are the most innocent beings on earth. They don’t commit heinous crimes out of anger, jealousy, greif, or fun, unlike humans. They only wish to survive, and when we decide that putting them through unexplainable pain and suffering just to test our beauty, hygiene, or health products is okay, we are actively and unjustifiably torturing and abusing creatures that would never deserve it. Causing harm is unjustifiable in itself, but animals, completely innocent and unable to defend themselves, should be protected as much as possible.

Many individuals have no idea that some brands that they use regularly participate in animal testing. Whether it be from lack of research or decietion, a lot of people are blissfully ignorant to the fact that they are helping out a business that tests their products on animals. Some of these companies include Benefit, Makeup Forever, Clinique, and even well known brands such as Maybelline, O.P.I, and Victoria’s Secret. Even though people who use these products might be against animal abuse, purchasing products that animal test is supporting companies that do believe and participate in abusing animals.

Even though stopping certain companies from abusing animals is very important, focusing on the bigger picture is what really matters. Many countries around the world permit animal testing and the making and selling of products tested on animals. In every country, including the United States, animal testing is legal, apart from The European Union, India, Israel, and Norway. The amount of places in the world where committing these horrible acts is within the law should be incredibly concerning, and knowing that the country someone lives in permits animal abuse is the first step to getting people to fight against it.

Most people assume that when companies test products on animals, the tests are to see if a new product to be used by humans is safe. However, this is not usually the case. Some companies test chemicals on animals to see if they have a reaction. Sometimes, companies force animals to consume product until they overdose on it, just to see how much of the product can be consumed at once. If beauty products are being tested on the animal, their fur is usually shaved, and the product is applied. If the product being used is in fact defective, the animal’s skin can become irritated or cause chemical burns, both of which can be painful and deadly. Animals are never given any relief from the pain that they are put through, and if the experimentation doesn’t kill them , then they are put to death by asphyxiation, neck-breaking or decapitation.

There is no excuse for the horrible abuse and pain that animals still go through at the expense of us. Working to extinguish these practices is something that everyone can do, no matter who they are. Whether it be actively speaking and fighting against animal testing or simply doing research to avoid products that test on animals, doing anything at all to protest against it is better than continuing to pretend it’s not an issue. The animals have no clue why they are being tortured in such horrible ways, and they have no way to stop it, so it is our job to protect and fight for them.