I am a neurology and psychology student. I am also working to cure autism. If I didn’t have lab rats, I would have to experimental surgery on autistic children. I’m glad that I don’t have to put a child’s life in danger for the sake of research. I thank ever rat for giving their life to further autism research. I know that lab animals are keep in large cages that are kept clean and are fed every day.

It truly amazes me that people put the lives of animals before the lives of humans. Where do your priorities lie and who are you to say that some animals life is worth more than mine? This is very simple; to those of you that believe you are nothing more than an unevolved animal stop going to the hospital. Stop taking medications of any kind. Stop vaccinating your children to deadly diseases. Stop using any and all medical advantages because, odds are, those advances in medicine came from animal research. Until you have cut yourself off from all of this, including simple aspirin, you have no right to complain or feel outraged. Hypocrisy is not reserved for anyone.

I truly do not understand the personal attacks in many of these posts. What happened to being able to disagree as a form of communication with the realization that none of us individually will solve the dispute nor are the cause.
I lost my father to cancer, my mother to cancer and now it might or might not be my turn depending how things go. I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT THERE IS ANY JUSTIFICATION FOR ANIMAL RESEARCH. I too got here from watching Jen's story on TV and personally wish her all the best. I just don't think that torturing other animals is worth her life or mine. I also detest PETA and that ilk. I am a naturalist,combat veteran and outdoorsman who just does not see humanity as a more valuable species than others. Hang in Jen.

I love animals ..but i happen to love human's more. If the challenge arose and you were faced with saving only one creature from a burning building one creature being a dog and the other a HUMAN life...that HUMAN life is the one that i would save. Think about it people. You would NOT choose to drag that dog out of the burning building over the human. The same goes for research for cures..you would'nt experiment on a human to find the cure for diseases, but you would want to know what it is we can do to stop these cruel diseases. If you or a loved one are faced with a life threatening illness, i'm sure you would want to know that there is medicine or a cure out there ready and waiting. Any other opinion would be an ignorant one.

Thank you Gary Brown for the link you provided. I am having to write an argumentative essay for my english class. My topic Is animal experimentation, when used for medical breakthroughs necessary. Your link provided me with alot of information that will be helpful in writing my paper.

I saw Jens story as well. It touched me deeply. I just need to say GO JEN! and thanks Rob for putting J in place. Some people should'nt use thier keyboards just beacause they have one. Jen I'm supporting you and thanking you for your courage.

Re: J's comment March 15
"I view all forms of life as equally important and I definetally wouldn't sacrifice the life of any living thing to save my own."
It's a dog eat dog world and the survival instinct is in everything, including plant life.
I think you'll find a new level of thinking if the cancer gun (or any lethal disease) is pointed at your head J. When you walk in someone else's shoes, often a dramatic about face comes into play when faced with a dilemma or a situation outside of your own experience. If someone could come up with a viable and accurate alternative to animal testing, that's great. Until then it is what it is.
I am a cancer patient. Try walking in those shoes.You'd change your tune.It's in your genes to survive.

I just saw this Janice commercial spot for the first time. How nauseating. I'm supposed to feel empathy or anguish for her situation, or supposed to support animal research, because I have to listen to her voiceover and watch the video intertwined with other living creatures forced to suffer -- and die -- to address her ailment? Call me cruel in thought, but do so at your peril because in turn I'll return the favor twofold for intentionally subjecting animals to pain and suffering before their execution. You have to be a human devoid of moral conscience to subscribe to such cruelty.

Gary Brown, I'm not sure who you are or think you are, but your bombastic, holier-than-thou, know-it-all counter-posts are truly annoying.

Spurred by Janice, here's another resource that soberly provides the answers to many questions any thinking person could come up with while considering their own stance on the animal research vs animal rights / no-test question.

Ref: http://www.understandinganimalresearch.org.uk/about_research/myths_and_facts

Working with animals in a research setting is extremely expensive, and science funding often being scarce to secure and lean on funds. Working with animals is still, for most, a privilege, and reserved for the most complex tests for which there are no alternatives that will provide both meaningful data and value for money. If there were a better, cheaper way, scientists (being often cheap) would take it.

Great article that addresses a lot of the anti-research propaganda. Like "aren't there all these magically things that make animal research irrelavant?"

http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/dear-science/Content?oid=3627215