So I am taking a Bio class called Human Animal Interaction which is basically about the ways humans interact with and use animals and all that jazz. Recently, we have been discussing using animals in research and there seems to be a varied response in the class. I do have to mention a few of the people in my class have strong feelings about animals and that animals are equals to humans, so this may be why the reactions are so strong and varied. So, I was curious. What do you guys have to say about this? Should we use animals in research? What if we have alternatives? Could the current system stand to be corrected?

And most importantly for me, have any of you guys signed papers or told doctors not to use anything on you that has been tested on or discovered through the use of animals?