Take a week or two away from the blogosphere and you come back to mess! It's like we went away for the weekend and our teenagers got drunk and invited the school bullies over to trash the house. Ah.. I love when my shit-stirring co-blogger gets people riled up. It will bring in more traffic for my lovely drawings and of course for Photo Phriday (which, incidentally has no guesses for the last entry!! Your perfect streak has ended dear readers!).
I have not read the entirety of posts/comments regarding Dr J's post on cats as research subjects (because I am still following the links around teh internetz), so I will refrain from making a specific argument for now. What I will say is I know him to be very emphatic in his love for felines (as I am!), and any time we feel such strong emotions about a contentious issue and these emotions are intertwined with stress and pressure in our work/personal lives, we run the risk of becoming irrational in conversation.
I agree with many of the points made by Dr J and some of the commenters on said issue, and would hope that anyone who wishes to have a say on the topic would comment on the thread to inform bloggers and readers if and where the conversation has been continued.
We now take you back to your regularly scheduled program.
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
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2 comments:
I've been limiting my time online and must have somehow missed the cat controversy, but am more than willing [as always] to add my two cents.
I understand the necessity for animal research, and hope all research is conducted with the utmost respect for the animal while it is in the scientist's care. This being said I could never do canine work and hate the idea of it all together... But understanding the need, I simply know I will never partake in this area of research and will only work in labs who use non-companion animal models.
I think I'm going to have to agree with your post, but knowing I will not stop the use of companion animals in research, I have adopted a stance similar to yours.
Unfortunately much of the early research on bone tissue used a canine model. I don't understand how someone could come to work everyday, sometimes for years and care for these big eyed pups, and then euthanize them and tear their limbs from their body. For those who have not collected bones from an animal this is NOT an easy task nor is it pleasant, even in a rat model... I think I would see Sirius looking up at me from the face of each pup who follows me into the operating room.
I have read of canine research which turns out to be very beneficial to the animal though. In the book "The Other End of the Leash," Dr McConnell studied the bond between humans and dogs, she also looked into new training techniques and research involving pitch and speed of commands in multiple languages. Animals who participated in her experiments and/or those of her associates were reported as shelter dogs who were all placed in homes. If the dogs were no longer wanted, they were to be returned to the institute and rehomed. This prevented dogs from going back to shelters, or from puppies growing up in a shelter system, which is a GREAT thing!!
I would LOVE to participate in canine research like that of Dr McConnell and her associates.
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