free of germs and disease. Some cost over a thousand dollars.”
I don’t know what to say. My head is spinning with all sorts of different thoughts that won’t come together into a sensible sentence.
“The research animals that die could help other animals to live,” she continues. “That might sound harsh, but those are the realities. I don’t feel one bit bad about the work I do here. A lot of people who love and depend on their pets benefit from our work, and, of course, the new medicines improve the lives of the animals themselves.”
“But you made those rats sick,” I argue. “Don’t they suffer because they’re sick?”
“We do all we can to ease their suffering, and we don’t keep them around for long once they’re sick. That’s why we were going to euthanize those rats this Friday—so they don’t get so ill that they’re in real, serious pain.”
“Do all the research labs do that?” I ask.
Julie throws her arms out to the side, obviously getting frustrated with me. “They’re supposed to!” she says. “Sunita, there are guidelines and laws for doing research with living creatures. Everything has to be approved before an experiment can even begin.”
I look down at the white rats and at the other rodents. They all look so innocent, so in need of love and a home.
“I hear what you’re saying, and what I did was wrong. Sorry,” I apologize. “I’m glad you’re able to do this work to help animals. But I can’t. It’s too hard for me to work with the animals knowing that they’re going to be killed.”
Julie looks at me closely and nods. She doesn’t seem mad anymore. “I love this work so much, I forget sometimes that not everyone feels the same way,” she says. “It could be that research work involving animals just isn’t for you.”
I collect my books and stick them in the backpack. “I probably won’t be coming back,” I say.
“All right,” Julie agrees. “If that’s how you feel, it’s probably for the best.”
I leave AVM quickly and bike to school. Homeroom is letting out just as I arrive. “Three lates and you’ll have a detention,” my homeroom teacher reminds me. “This is your second one. It’s not like you, Sunita.”
“No, it’s not. I’m sorry,” is all I can think of to say. It’s not like me at all—yet somehow I don’t care. It’s not even like me not to care.
But if I’m not like the old Sunita, who am I like—who replaces the old me?
That’s the scary part.
After school I head to Dr. Mac’s Place to visit Mittens. Brenna and I see each other in the hallway. She greets me with an angry grunt and keeps walking.
Fine, if that’s how you’re going to act, I think, even though a big part of me wants us to be friends again.
“Wait a minute, Brenna,” I say. “Something happened today, and I want to tell you about it.”
She turns to face me. “What?”
“I quit AVM after I let some lab rats go today. I couldn’t bear to let them be killed. I set them free.”
A smile slowly forms on her face. “You did? Awesome! I can’t believe you had the nerve! I’m so proud of you.”
I hold up my hand to stop her. “I did it partly because of the things you said to me. But I’m not proud of myself. I didn’t have the whole picture.Those rats were sick, and I didn’t realize that by freeing them, I would be causing them a painful death.”
“I didn’t know those things, either,” Brenna admits. Then her face hardens. “But they wouldn’t be sick in the first place if labs like AVM didn’t exist!”
I take a deep breath. “If labs like AVM didn’t exist, Brenna, there’d be no antibiotics to help cats like Mittens.”
Brenna’s eyes soften. “I’m worried about Mittens, too. But I don’t believe that killing animals to save animals makes sense. There just has to be another way.”
I sigh as I head in to see Mittens. I guess Brenna and I will never see eye to eye.
Mittens is asleep in her cage. Dr. Mac
I don’t know what to say. My head is spinning with all sorts of different thoughts that won’t come together into a sensible sentence.
“The research animals that die could help other animals to live,” she continues. “That might sound harsh, but those are the realities. I don’t feel one bit bad about the work I do here. A lot of people who love and depend on their pets benefit from our work, and, of course, the new medicines improve the lives of the animals themselves.”
“But you made those rats sick,” I argue. “Don’t they suffer because they’re sick?”
“We do all we can to ease their suffering, and we don’t keep them around for long once they’re sick. That’s why we were going to euthanize those rats this Friday—so they don’t get so ill that they’re in real, serious pain.”
“Do all the research labs do that?” I ask.
Julie throws her arms out to the side, obviously getting frustrated with me. “They’re supposed to!” she says. “Sunita, there are guidelines and laws for doing research with living creatures. Everything has to be approved before an experiment can even begin.”
I look down at the white rats and at the other rodents. They all look so innocent, so in need of love and a home.
“I hear what you’re saying, and what I did was wrong. Sorry,” I apologize. “I’m glad you’re able to do this work to help animals. But I can’t. It’s too hard for me to work with the animals knowing that they’re going to be killed.”
Julie looks at me closely and nods. She doesn’t seem mad anymore. “I love this work so much, I forget sometimes that not everyone feels the same way,” she says. “It could be that research work involving animals just isn’t for you.”
I collect my books and stick them in the backpack. “I probably won’t be coming back,” I say.
“All right,” Julie agrees. “If that’s how you feel, it’s probably for the best.”
I leave AVM quickly and bike to school. Homeroom is letting out just as I arrive. “Three lates and you’ll have a detention,” my homeroom teacher reminds me. “This is your second one. It’s not like you, Sunita.”
“No, it’s not. I’m sorry,” is all I can think of to say. It’s not like me at all—yet somehow I don’t care. It’s not even like me not to care.
But if I’m not like the old Sunita, who am I like—who replaces the old me?
That’s the scary part.
After school I head to Dr. Mac’s Place to visit Mittens. Brenna and I see each other in the hallway. She greets me with an angry grunt and keeps walking.
Fine, if that’s how you’re going to act, I think, even though a big part of me wants us to be friends again.
“Wait a minute, Brenna,” I say. “Something happened today, and I want to tell you about it.”
She turns to face me. “What?”
“I quit AVM after I let some lab rats go today. I couldn’t bear to let them be killed. I set them free.”
A smile slowly forms on her face. “You did? Awesome! I can’t believe you had the nerve! I’m so proud of you.”
I hold up my hand to stop her. “I did it partly because of the things you said to me. But I’m not proud of myself. I didn’t have the whole picture.Those rats were sick, and I didn’t realize that by freeing them, I would be causing them a painful death.”
“I didn’t know those things, either,” Brenna admits. Then her face hardens. “But they wouldn’t be sick in the first place if labs like AVM didn’t exist!”
I take a deep breath. “If labs like AVM didn’t exist, Brenna, there’d be no antibiotics to help cats like Mittens.”
Brenna’s eyes soften. “I’m worried about Mittens, too. But I don’t believe that killing animals to save animals makes sense. There just has to be another way.”
I sigh as I head in to see Mittens. I guess Brenna and I will never see eye to eye.
Mittens is asleep in her cage. Dr. Mac
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