ItâÄôs no secret that the University of Minnesota tests on animals for research. While this is hard to support, the testing is done for important reasons and saves human lives.

Dick Bianco, head of Experimental Surgical Services at the University of Minnesota, has received many threats from animal rights activists.

Bianco does heart valve research on sheep, and has to âÄúsacrificeâÄù about 300 sheep every year. This is a sad and terrible reality of scientific research, but we must look at the reasons for this and appreciate what has come from animal experimentation.

ItâÄôs unpleasant that these sheep are tested on and must die for research, but in the end, the research saves and improves human lives. Animal experimentation has led to many medical discoveries and improvements.

Bianco supports animal experimentation but at the same time respects activist organizations against him. He does this by inviting high school students to his lab to show why testing on animals is necessary.

Exposing high school students to research laboratories helps share all the information about animal experimentation, not just what PETA thinks.

This is a step in the right direction. We should look at both arguments for and against animal testing and appreciate the benefits of the research.

Instead of targeting scientific researchers, we should do what we can on a personal level to help animals.

People can become vegetarian or vegan and adopt animals from shelters. These are realistic ways to directly help animals without sacrificing the benefits we get from them through scientific research.