Animal testing for reasearch and development

[Katerina]

Hi all!

I am a chemist and i will soon be starting work on a pharmaceutical contact lense that cures glaucoma in humans.

This contact lense will udergo animal testing in rabbits. I have expressed my dissaproval however there is no other way for this technology to undergo any other kind of trial at least not in the first phase.
The research center i will be working with has a strong bio-ethical approach and treats the test animals as humanely as possible. As a vegan though the term "humane" for me has a much different meaning, less flexible.

This animal testing cannot be avoided. Although i will be part of the personel that develops the conatact lense and not part of the personell that actually tests it on the rabbits, i cant help but feel extremely sad. It comes into conflict with my ethics.

If i leave the group, nothing will change and i will be denying an excellent carrer opportunity. If i stay i will have access to the animals living conditions and i can obsereve first hand how they are treated. And perhaps i can offer alternatives testing solutions (if there are any). Also i thought that maybe when the testing is over i could volunteer to find the animals a home since they will be of no use to the research center.

What would you do in my position? Is there anyone working in the scientific fiels that could suggest an alternative testing method?

Thank you in advance

 

[Forest Nymph]

If you stay and you have the personality for it, you could document and surreptitiously video record what they're doing and pass it on to PETA in Greece or to ALF in your area and they'll possibly be able to do something to make it stop. You have a lot more power to stop what's happening than you realize . It takes a very particular sort of vegan to do these things calmly, there are people who work for PETA who document slaughter houses who miraculously do not end up with PTSD or nightmares because of their temperament and they're focused on the end goal - it's to stop what's happening, etc...but if you're not one of those people your reflex empathetic response could make you angry, upset, or worse. In the first case, I wish you well in your endeavor, but if you're the second type of person (I am) I would walk away from the job. There's no amount of money or "career opportunity" that is worth it to me.

By the way there's absolutely no way in hell what they're doing is "humane." They're breeding rabbits to have glaucoma or inducing it artificially, then sticking things into their eyes to see what happens. That's not humane by any definition, I don't care how roomy their cages are or how much food they're given .

 

[Katerina]

Since i have no choice in the matter and they are going to do what they are going to do anyway, I think i would rather be in the presence of it . To observe how they treat the animals and possibly give them a home after what they endure. And possibly even document the experiments. I feel that if i leave then there will will be no vegan in the project to testify (because there si no ither vegan in the personell). So i will stay an keep expressing my opinion hopimg to make an impact and to make sure that these rabbits will find peace even after alla these experiments are done. I will take them home myself if i have to...