• Question: I love disecting, but i dont when it is on an animal because it is meant can you help me because i want to be able to disect but not harm animals

    Asked by amber4 to Will, Vijay, Sarah, Karen, Amy on 11 Jun 2012. This question was also asked by coops666.
    • Photo: Sarah Martin

      Sarah Martin answered on 11 Jun 2012:

      Hi Amber, I totally understand that! I wouldn’t want to dissect an animal either. Would it make you feel different if you knew that the animal had died peacefully and that the results from your dissection would help lots of little children who are very poorly?
      It’s a tough question!

    • Photo: Amy Birch

      Amy Birch answered on 11 Jun 2012:

      Hi amber,
      Well I also like dissecting and would hate to think that in any way I have harmed any animals. Does it help to know that all animals have to be fully anaesthetised (so they can’t feel anything, exactly like if you had to have an operation) before I am allowed to do anything that could hurt them? We also have to give animals painkillers if we are doing anything that they wake up from (again, exactly like you would in a human operation) so that they are never in pain.
      Anyone that wants to do any work with animals has to have a full licence granted by the government, and there is a lot of training to do before you get this licence. There are lots of very strict rules that you have to follow and there are many trained technicians and vets that check on everything that you do. I would never agree to do anything that deliberately hurt animals in any way.

    • Photo: Karen Reed

      Karen Reed answered on 12 Jun 2012:

      Hi Amber,
      As Amy says there are really strict rules to make sure the anmials do not suffer in any way and you have to have a licence given by the govement to work with animals. I work with mice and I know they are really well cared for, and when I do the dissections it is after they have been killed in a kind way to make sure they didn’t suffer at all. I also know that what I can learn from using animals is really valuable and helps us treat and cures humans.
      Its not easy and its good you are thinking about it.

      If you want to try something a little more fun to learn about dissections check this out… (anyone can do this – you don’t need a licence 🙂 )

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