Mortal love: Care practices in animal experimentation

Abstract

This article addresses the embodied nature of laboratory human—animal practices in order to understand the notions of care that take place within an institution of domination — the apparatus of animal experimentation. How is it possible to both love and harm in this context? Building on animal studies and feminist ethics, the theme of emotionality is explored in the section ‘loving animals’. Here it is demonstrated that empathy and affection for individual animals, as well as species, are strong components of an experimental ethos expressed by the informants. The second empirical section deals with the issue of ‘killing well’. The good kill is supposed to be done with care: quickly and compassionately. This is performed by way of bodily measures of care, technological refinement and personal skills and, sometimes, with the help of a division of labour. In the concluding section, the empirical findings are read through the framework, where the feminist theoretical analysis of love, dependency and care from an embodiment perspective understands the dialectics of instrumentalisation and exploitation of — and care for — animals, not as something that goes on above or outside of relations, but rather as something that can be understood from within. ‘Mortal love’ is the attempt to capture and theorise this dialectic, arguing that emotions of love and friendship are not mere justifications for the harm and killing performed, but rather intrinsic dimensions of the embodied animaling of experimental human—animal relations.

Cultures of care? Animals and science in Britain

“…Here animal husbandry is increasingly viewed as a confounding factor in experimental science, and is experienced as a hurdle to translation (Davies, , , ). Holmberg (, ) has explored care work in science, focusing on the training of both animal technicians and students. She argues that students and technicians are not merely justifying their work when they discuss loving and caring for animals; care is instead a crucial part of science itself.…”

“…While animal care work has been professionalized since the middle of the twentieth century (Druglitro, ; Kirk, , , , ), it has nonetheless been marginalized relative to science per se. This is evidenced by the systematic erasure of animal husbandry practices from scientific journal articles (Birke et al, ; Holmberg, ; Lederer, ; Lynch, ), and the perceived need for the ARRIVE (Animal Research: Reporting of In Vivo Experiments) guidelines. In this context animal husbandry (i.e., the work involved in feeding, housing, handling and reproducing laboratory animals) has been thought of as an extra‐scientific concern that animal technicians and veterinarians are responsible for, as opposed to scientists themselves (Birke et al, ; Greenhough and Roe, ; Holmberg, ).…”

“…This is evidenced by the systematic erasure of animal husbandry practices from scientific journal articles (Birke et al, ; Holmberg, ; Lederer, ; Lynch, ), and the perceived need for the ARRIVE (Animal Research: Reporting of In Vivo Experiments) guidelines. In this context animal husbandry (i.e., the work involved in feeding, housing, handling and reproducing laboratory animals) has been thought of as an extra‐scientific concern that animal technicians and veterinarians are responsible for, as opposed to scientists themselves (Birke et al, ; Greenhough and Roe, ; Holmberg, ). Indeed, previous research has indicated that scientists do not see animal care as part of science (Lynch, ), and notions of objectivity have been used to support this (Birke et al, ).…”

Performing good death at the veterinary clinic: experiences of pet euthanasia in Finland

“…The term euthanasia can be translated as ‘good death’ (Rollin ), but the aim of giving a pet a good death has several meanings. In the most pragmatic sense, a good death can be understood as a painless ending to a life that cannot be continued any longer, but it can also refer to expectations of proper conduct in killing the animal (Holmberg ). Both of these meanings come together in the work of the veterinarian, who aims to give as good a death as possible to an animal that can no longer have a good life (Law ).…”

‘Please tell me when you are in pain’: A heartbreaking story of care, grief and female–canine companionship

“…Here, body work is understood as not only a matter of doing things with one's own body but as a wider concept involving the care and cure of others’ bodies (Wolkowitz, , p. 497; cf. Holmberg, ), thus entailing gendered constructions of ‘involving the physical touch and manipulation of others’ bodies’ (Cohen & Wolkowitz, , p. 42). Hence, we critically discuss the notions of grief and mourning attached to care as inseparable parts of the body work relationally done and undone in the daily practices that produce our female companionships (see,e.g., Kanov, Powley, & Walshe, ).…”