Comment by dbg31415 | Hacker News Reader

Comment by dbg31415 | Hacker News Reader

In college, one of my friends worked in an animal lab on campus.

There were something like 3,000 dogs... all in one building... all penned up from birth.

And upon hearing about the 3,000 dogs, I was like, "Can I see them?"

So she snuck me in.

And they were all bred to have some disorder, I don't remember what now, but like the article said... it was fatal.

And we got to the lab at like 9 PM and nobody else was there.

The dogs were all so happy to see us. God they seemed lonely. They were kept in these little like 10x14 pens, 2-3 dogs per pen. Some dogs were in cages.

But like... they were just dogs. Y'know? Most were just happy and looking to be pet, and it was overwhelming to be there.

I got to give some treats.

One of the pens had a dead dog in it, and my friend agonized over dealing with it or waiting until her shift officially started -- she didn't want to leave the dead dog in the pen, and she didn't want people to know she was sneaking her friends in to play with the dogs. So she decided to deal with the dog, and just tell her supervisor she came back for her wallet or something.

Anyway, for a kid 2,500 miles away from home... who missed his dogs... it was really nice to have an hour to play with puppies and young dogs.

As we were leaving she said that most of the dogs were euthanized at the 6-month mark to check for heart defects, or heart issues. Even the healthy dogs.

Fuck it was devastating to hear that.

I'm sure there's a reason and I'm sure we benefit somehow... and a dog who has never seen the sun, and will never see the sun, probably doesn't know what all they are missing... but they have to know, right? Like every living thing has to know they weren't made to sit in a little pen waiting to die.

I don't know, just felt like they should be outside, playing in a field, all that stuff... being mentally challenged and taught how to fetch and instead... they were bred just so their hearts would fail, or so they could be killed and dissected to see why their heart didn't fail.

Most people at the school didn't even know there was a dog lab like that on campus.

Easier not to think about this stuff.

> we entered freely and unsupervised in a lab full of animals valued in several ten thousands where anybody could swap the tags of two puppies and ruin the life of a young scientist just for fun, or accidentally introduce a parvovirus after playing with their own pets. And then we touched and played with all the cubs.

Yeah, sure, lad. This is not how it works in the real life.

> a dog who has never seen the sun, and will never see the sun

Why? there is not a sun in your planet?

There is a fair chance that when this dogs are walked in the streets or the university gardens by its caretakers will be able to see the sun, sniff the sun and even to pee in the sun

You are living in a dream world. Those animals exist for research and profit. Why would anyone walk them? Complete waste of time, and not to mention potentially damaging the research by contamination.

> Why would anyone walk them?

Probably because the grants require it, the bioethics committee will watch for it, and the laws regulate it [1]. So if there is a minimum possibility of walking the dogs or enrich their lives, will be used extensively.

[1] (See for example: Council of Europe – European Convention for the Protection of Vertebrate Animals used for Experimental and other Scientific Purposes (ETS No. 123). Strasbourg 1986).

Lets don't be so dumb as to ignore that this is a tightly, strictly, closely regulated field

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And also because the investment in money and time is too expensive that nobody wants the risk to neglect the animals and lose it. Not when your entire career, income and wellbeing of your partner and children depends on this animals. And because they are humans of course and like to interact with their lab animals.

Animals that will be used later in extremely critical experiments that could cure horrible diseases forever in both humans --and pets--. Don't forget that. If a medicine for humans is tested in dogs, will be developed for humans but also for dogs at the same time, so, yes there is a sacrifice, but also a big reward for every dog in the planet.

But this will not be discussed because this kind of articles hallucinating hells of crying mice and psycho/broken-hearted lab people, have been written with two obvious purposes: 1) luring naive donors and part them from their money and 2) discourage young adults to work in a field that is critical if we really want --to reduce-- animal and human suffering.

And this is a criminal move, and should be ashamed and mocked every single time.

Wow, this comment is so deep. I am at a loss for words. I have tears in my eyes. Thank you to share this difficult experience.

Aside, but what compels you to write in this LinkedIn broetry style?

Uh, maybe just how I tell a story. Wasn't intentionally trying for any specific style.

I like the term "LinkedIn Broetry" though... instantly knew what you meant. Ha.

Just leave this commenter to rot on the outside the way they've already gone to rot on the inside. You wrote a superb, enlightening comment.

This comment was unnecessary. The parent comment was on topic, emotional to read, and felt authentic to me.

(1) The "Linkedin style" is certainly not unique to males.

(2) It was a good story and a relevant comment.

No reason to bring gender into this discussion, why not criticize/discuss the comment itself.

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