It takes tremendous courage to stand up for what you
believe. But when you do, it feels good to know you are doing what is
right for you and in this case for animals too. Despite the
difficulties, there are many students who, like yourself, have taken a
stand for animals in education. They have articulated their concerns to
their professors and have achieved an animal free educational
experience.
Nuria Querol
"If you want to study rat's brain, study Psychology. If
you want to study the human brain, study Philosophy" I still remember
this overwhelming (but unfortunately true in most cases) sentence that
my brother told me when I was studying Biology. During my Biology
studies I had a serious crisis between what I thought Science should be
and what I found in my practices. That should have been called
Necrology.
Useless practices that included surgery were performed
even though we had not been trained in sutures and stitches, therefore
the experiments turned out to be traumatic experiences for students and
a painful waste of animals’ lives. We were not offered any alternative
thereby objection meant failing the exam.
I must confess I was scared, I couldn’t pretend nothing
was going to happen to the animals but I had no specific alternative
resources to show to my professors. I was completely lost and did not
[know] what to do until I realized that I could be of some help by
attending the practices without performing anything on the animals and
writing a report of what was lying behind the walls of the University.
So watching little innocent mice and rats being slaughtered for useless
experiments became a non-return point for me, especially after spending
a whole week trying to rescue a rat that I had already named Enriqueta.
The professor knew I was completely against the
practices and was keeping an eye on me during all the time though I
tried to sneak out to Enriqueta’s cage to open it and run away with her.
Nobody expected the rats to be killed that day and I shouted when the
professor took Enriqueta the first one and decapitated her. I couldn’t
believe my eyes, I couldn’t believe anyone could be so cold-blooded and
cruel. I felt my heart stopping and suddenly beating with more strength
than ever, I stared at him and swore to myself that from now on I was
going to try to work to stop any animal testing. I have no words to
describe how I felt when I was watching a sweet, healthy, funny and
curious rat and suddenly there were only the remains of a dead body with
no head and blood all over the table.
I felt I had to find a more scientific, accurate and
compassionate way to become a scientist, and then I went to ADDA’s
headquarters with the report of the experiments that turned out to be
the first report ever made by a Spanish student. We used the report to
press the Catalonian Government to change the Law to protect lab animals
in a more effective way. During that time, I became involved in
InterNICHE and started spreading the message that alternatives were
available and let students know that they had the right to conscientious
objection. It is a matter of animal rights but also of civil rights,
since it is possible nowadays to have a great education and training
without hurting any animal and at the same time becoming better
scientists because we also incorporate ethics, empathy and compassion in
all the knowledge we acquire during our studies.
I couldn’t save her life but I will carry Enriqueta
forever in my heart because she was the trigger I needed my inspiration
and I still think of her especially while talking to media or making a
conference at a University. Thank you, Enriqueta, for making a
difference in my life and hopefully in other animals and students’
lives.
Núria Querol i Viñas
Biologist
Medicine Student at Vall d'Hebrón Hospital, Barcelona
Member of the AAVS
Spanish National Contact for InterNICHE
Head of International Relationships Office-Fundación Altarriba
http://www.altarriba.org
Co-ordinator of GEVHA
GEVHA- Grupo para el Estudio de la Violencia en
Humanos y Animales. Educación
Humanitaria.
Group for the Study of Violence towards Humans & Animals.
Humane Education.
www.humanestudent.org
Go on to The Call
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