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Animals in Laboratories
In toxicology tests non-human primates (NHPs) are selected as most suited to studies of neurology, behavior, reproduction, genetics and xenotransplantation (Wikipedia describes this as ‘the transplantation of living cells, tissues or organs from one species to another’). They are also used in Aids tests. They are mainly purpose bred in USA, China and Europe but they are also caught in the wild or even gathered from zoos and circuses. There is great demand for them in laboratories as they are considered as being central to vaccine development and also Deep Brain Stimulation tests.
“Animal testing precedes human trials, but if we do not know whether the animal testing is relevant to the problem in humans, it will lose even minimal predictive value… the continued use of broad spectrum multi-strain /multi-species testing vividly shows that researchers do not actually know which laboratory results can be legitimately applied to humans”. Hugh LaFollette and Niall Shanks, Brute Science (London: Routledge, 1996) p 27
We have been responsible for using animals in our enquiry into physiological function and for our experiments in seeking a cure for abnormalities. This has been since the earliest known test of the Romans and Greeks in the second and fourth century respectively. Those such as Galen were known not only for their herbal remedies and also for their early experiments on animals. There is little known of these activities in the following centuries when there were no doubt severe religious ethics in place to ban such work.
Animal Rights or Welfare
Last year, Michael Vick, a famous football player, found himself exposed in a secret scandal much different from the scandals that we encounter everyday: the multimillion dollar superstar fought dogs on the side. News of this event shocked the nation and caused outrage among animal rights groups. How could a man, who had reached the pinnacle of his career and made so much money doing what he loved, be involved in such a brutal, vicious hobby? Those that weren’t outraged were just confused.
It wouldn’t be a surprise to anyone that dog fighting is ubiquitous throughout society. While it may be kept under wraps in the United States and in other first-world countries, the fact of the matter is this: in all the other parts of the world, animals have little if any legal protection from maltreatment. In a world where even humans are marginalized and stripped of their rights, how are we to protect the rights of animals (who cannot speak for themselves)?
The topic has been a hot debate for centuries in the academic world, particularly in philosophy. There are two main positions on the debate: Animal Rights and Animal Welfare. Proponents of Animal Welfare contend that the use of animals for human endeavors and consumption is morally okay, however, when engaging in the activity of cultivating them it must be done in a ‘humane’ way without putting them through ‘unnecessary’ suffering. Supporters of Animal Rights believe that it is absolutely wrong to use animals in any way for human consumption and exploitation. Animal Rights supporters have criticized proponents of Animal welfare for their subjective diction, citing that terms like ‘humane’ and ‘unnecessary’ will be interpreted many different ways . They believe that the lack of a clear definition will allow excuses for the continuation of animal cruelty.
An Icon in the World of Animal Protection
One of the most financially rewarded painter of the UK, David Shepherd has a less than negligible critical status in the art world. His paintings and signed work has brought pleasure to many people and his work regularly features on posters, mats and commemorative plates.
The main subject of his paintings is African wildlife amidst a grand environment of the wild Africa. He paints nothing other than wildlife and portrays them in the same mono style of a low point of view and composing them in pyramid structures. There is almost no change of style between his paintings except for the animal subject and its placement. His painting style is very unique and combines the super effect of a photograph and a impressionistic nature. One can see a flurry of brush activities in each of his paintings. While most of his pictures are bright and dazzling, the shadows are hard and dark so as to achieve an effect of theater and drama. Though it is very hard to criticize a renowned artist like David Shepherd, he uses a formulaic excess and repeats his painting approach very much.
The professional work of David shepherd has a magical quality of subtle distortion and hesitation of strokes giving it an additional quality. His work shows a combination of odd asymmetries and shadow areas that are clumsy and smudged and have a successful harmony. This imperfection of his adds to the genuine nature of his work and is seen as a superficial technique. This is clearly seen in the unfinished sketch of a Tiger that was in progress. One could easily see the imperfect strokes and the abrupt smudges. David Shepherd is known for his heartfelt sincerity and magic in his painting. His sincerity is so uncomplicated that it makes up for the sarcastic criticism he makes at his contemporary artists.
