Why do we grow desensitized- Animal research?

Question

I work in a research lab. We have many clinical (human) and pre clinical (animal) experiments that we are conducting at any given time. At first, it shocked me that death was viewed so casually in research as the patient was replaced...but we are dealing with terminal patients. For part of my job though, I have to euthanize animals and harvest their organs. At first mice bothered me but I got used to it. Then it was dogs that we had to euthanize. Now, I can even play with the dogs before we sacrafice them and feel no emotion towards them. Why do we grow insensitive to things we used to be sensitive about?

Answer 1

I don't know how you do it. I don't think I could ever do what you are doing. I have a niece that owns an emergency only animal clinic. I asked her how she could handle this because she loves animals.

She said, as long as it's not mine, it's not a problem. I can't handle watching any animal die. I've wanted to cry for people at the vet when they say they are bringing their baby in to put to sleep.

Some people obviously get used to it, but I know for a fact that I never could. sometimes I wish I knew how people could feel no emotion to euthanizing an animal, especially in your case.

I recently rescued a dog from getting run over on a major highway. I took her home with me. I was determined to find the owner.

AFter a couple of days here, she disappeared. I thought she had gone to find her real owner. About a week later, her owner found me. The dog was gone and I had no idea where.

I could feel her pain and I almost started crying with her apologizing that she ran away from here too. Animals just get to me.

Your point about growing insensitive, just think what doctors and nurses go through. Another occupation I could never handle.

Answer 2

I know that I as a caring human being could ever be desensitized to the death of any living thing.
I can accept death of a human more easily than that of an animal.People most times have some say so in their lives and the choices they make that leads then on their chosen paths. Animals on the other hand are at the mercy of circumstance. I could /would never do any job like yours that would dehumanize me to the point of acceptance of the killing of loving animals that give us normal people so much joy. And add so much to our lives. I have seen death many times but I have never murdered a dog for the "good" of mankind. Nor would I ever not even to save my own life. So you play with the poor dogs before you kill them? So did Hitlers execution squads and the Ted Bundys of the world.
I don't mean to judge you but ,it seems you gave me the right to do so ,in your post.