This is a question people began asking over 40 years ago, when scientists began to realize that there were plausible alternatives to animal testing. Animal experimentation is a cruel and inhumane practice that takes the lives of over 1 million animals a year in the U.S alone according to PETA. This is because animal testing can be used in biology labs, for medical purposes, for cosmetic purposes and for general curiosity. 

This is a problem because these tests are done without proper veterinary care, anesthesia, or  living spaces. These animals feel everything that happens to them and are sentient beings who feel empathy, emotions and pain. According to a study done by Aaron Sandel, a primatologist, ants will amputate the legs of other animals and help them recover, but only in necessary situations. Many other animals also show this compassion, often putting other animals’ needs before their own wants according to Sandel. Animals feel just as much as we do, they are sentient beings that do not deserve the torture they experience in laboratories. 

Not only is animal experimentation highly unethical, it is also borderline obsolete! Often tests done on animals don’t pass 90% of trials done with humans according to Humane World for Animals. This is because animal physiology is in stark contrast with human physiology. Furthermore, the environments they live in cause stress which will raise cortisol levels and skew test results even more. 

There are many alternative testing methods that companies have begun to use such as 3D skin modelling also called “organ chips” and artificial tissue testing. This begs the question, why haven’t corporations done this yet? It is a cheaper alternative that prevents animal cruelty. Likely the answer is that it is an initial cost issue because it is expensive to override a whole system. 

Some tests are also still necessary such as long term testing of drugs and pain killers, however there is no excuse for cosmetic animal testing. While there isn’t a ban on cosmetic animal testing, there s a certification called the Leaping Bunny, if a product has the bunny on it, it means that the product is certified cruelty free. We as consumers have an obligation to buy from leaping bunny certified companies, email companies that aren’t cruelty free yet and call our representatives to ask for the criminalization of cosmetic animal experimentation.