Clarification on Animal Testing

To the Editors:

I would like to start this letter by saying that I am not trying to change anyone’s opinion. I only want accurate information to be available so that students can make up their own minds. One piece of information that I would like to correct is that the rats were not conscious during surgery and implantation of the electrode. They did not feel any pain during surgery. Yes, this procedure has been done many times before; however, the purpose is not to make scientific progress. The procedure is a learning experience for students who may plan to study the brain as a career. These students may contribute to the knowledge about the brain, but first, they must learn how to study it. The students in the lab are definitely aware that the rats are living, feeling animals. They often go to the lab outside of class time to “gentle,” soothe, their rats. The rats are not simply thrown away after the experiment. They are donated to a bird shelter where they will become food for birds that cannot survive in the wild. The rats are anesthetized/ euthanized before they are given to the birds.
To me, this issue is about choice. Students should be able to participate in this procedure if it will be valuable or even necessary for them. The students of the introductory neuroscience lab are given a choice as to whether or not they will perform the surgery. If a student chooses not to perform the surgery, his/her grade will not be affected. I encourage you, whatever your opinion may be, to live and let live. Many students find this opportunity extremely valuable. It would be devastating if those students were kept from this experience.

–Leslie Dowell
College first-year