Godless Mom in the Bible Belt

Anyone who reads my blog regularly knows that I love critters. I have devoted much of my personal and professional life to the care and welfare of non-human animals. I surround myself with them and encourage their presence in my yard, I can sit for hours and watch animals in the wild. I thoroughly enjoy every bit of contact I have with them (yes, I even enjoy the dirty work.)

So, it might surprise people to know that I spent three years working in medical research. The laboratory I worked for had two departments, Toxicology and Medical Implant and Device testing. The Toxicology department tested new medications mostly on rodents and lagamorphs, the Medical Implant and Device department tested new surgical techniques and (as the name implies) new implant technology. This department used cows, sheep, dogs and pigs.

Now, there is definitely some good that comes out of the type of work I did. Our lab was responsible for much of the research which resulted in the FDA pulling silicone breast implants. We helped develop a device that has helped many people who need portions of intestine removed. We did some remarkable work which has helped burn victims with skin grafts.

While I realized that my work was important to humans, it was difficult to go to work day after day and know that I was inflicting pain on one type of animal for the benefit of another. Now, I personally don't believe that the human species is anything special. I don't believe that we own the world, I don't believe we have any sort of elevated status. We are just one of many species indigenous to this planet, we just happen to be overly brainy. I constantly walked the emotional line, wondering if I was doing more harm than good.

I'm not a hard core animal rights person,I eat meat and I wear leather shoes. I understand that when I sit down to my chicken dinner I am consuming what once was a living, breathing being. As an omnivorous member of the food chain, I'm comfortable with that (although I am not comfortable with the huge industries that bring those chickens to our tables...That is a subject for another day.)

However, I don't feel that we have the right to treat our fellow life forms with complete callous disregard. The life of a cow is just as important to that cow as my life is to me. A tree that has survived decades is deserving of respect, as is the natural algae populations of a lake or stream. Let's face it, if all the humans disappeared off the face of the Earth tomorrow the world would continue without so much as a hiccup. On the other hand, if all the blue-green algae disappeared? We would be screwed! We humans are not nearly so important as we would like to believe.

So, I continued working in research with a conflicted heart. I did everything in my power to make certain that the animals in my care were comfortable and as happy as possible (I even made a point of letting the dogs out for play time on a daily basis...Something many of my co-workers thought was a waste of time.)

After three years I was presented with an opportunity to move to another city. I jumped at the chance, went back into private veterinary practice and have never looked back. I still don't know how I feel about those years I worked in research. Life is so full of grey areas, it would be nice if everything was clearly defined and every decision we make was obviously right or wrong but I guess we all must muddle through and do the best we can.