Your Stories
We know that a lot of people have tried to rescue and rehome lab animals in New Zealand. Many students are forced to use live animals in their course work when they don't want to and have tried and been stopped from doing so. Your stories and experiences can make an impact and ensure changes are made. We'd love you to share them here for others to read and to be shared with MPs. Please email us with what you experienced; just let us know if you want to remain anonymous, which is understandable. Thank you!
“I studied some animal behavior papers at University, one of them involved doing experiments with mice. These were all really humane tests and mainly involved observing different breeds of mice and how their behavior differs. After my class was finished with these mice (around 60 of them) I was really curious to know what was going to happen to them. After finding out they were all going to be gassed once we were finished with them I was truly horrified
All of these mice were perfectly healthy and judging by the way they all clung to the side of the cage trying to wedge their little heads between the bars, they wanted to live.
I started asking my teachers if I could re-home them or just keep them myself, they told me it was above their power and that they couldn't do anything, I then tried to reach out to other people and sent numerous emails trying to find someone who could help me save these mice. Having no luck and after making a lot of my teachers annoyed I contemplated just taking the mice, unfortunately my teachers figured this out and said if any mice were missing they'd know it was me. In the end all the mice were gassed and I was left feeling helpless and incredibly guilty. There was no need for these animals to die, animals who are used in experiments in the name of science should not have to be killed after we are done with them. It makes absolutely no sense when there are people out there willing to give them a good home”
“When I was a young Trainee Veterinary Nurse, we had a practical lesson at Wallaceville Animal Research in Upper Hutt. The lesson was in IV catheterisation and fluid therapy. The lesson was held at the animal research centre because there were breeding dogs that we could use and practice on during the lesson. The dogs we used were healthy Labrador-types.
At the end of the session the Vet/Tutor told us that he had always been curious as to how much air you would need to inject into an IV line in order to kill an animal. He proceeded to suck air into a large syringe and was about to inject it into the dog he was demonstrating on.
His reasoning was that the dog was of no longer required for research anymore and was due to be euthanized by the research team anyway. As his audience was a group of young animal loving trainee vet nurses the vet did not get to fulfil his curiosity that evening. Though I suspect the dog's life ended soon after as per the research protocol.”
