Coping With Grief in the Animal Facility

As a member of the animal care staff in a laboratory animal facility, it can be really difficult to deal with animal morbidity, and the necessity of performing euthanasia. What are some of the resources available to help lab animal personnel cope with these situations?

Naturally, the process of euthanizing research animals can be stressful and even traumatic for some facility workers; fortunately, there is a considerable amount of literature available that can provide both staff and management with some of the necessary resources for dealing with these issues.

AALAS has published a brochure, “The Cost of Caring: Recognizing Human Emotions in the Care of Laboratory Animals,” which provides an overview of the key issues involved in dealing with euthanasia-related grief. In addition, Sally Walshaw, MA, VMD, Director, Animal Resources, and Associate Professor, Atlantic Veterinary College, University of Prince Edward Island (Charlottetown, PE, Canada), a recognized specialist in animal facility staff training and animal-human relationships, recommends the following publications for more information on this topic:

• Lagoni, L., Butler, C. & Hetts, S. The Human-Animal Bond and Grief (W.B. Saunders, Philadelphia, 1994).

• Arluke, A. Uneasiness among laboratory technicians. Lab Anim. (NY) 19, 20–39 (1990).

• Stewart, M.F. Companion Animal Death: A Practical and Comprehensive Guide for Veterinary Practice. (Butterworth/ Heinemann, Oxford, England, 1999).

• Doerning, B., Walshaw, S., Hart, S. & Conover, D. Maintaining Sensitivity and Emotional Stability Working with Laboratory Animals (videotape) (ACLAM, 2002).

• Schneider, J. Stress, Loss and Grief. (University Park Press, Baltimore, 1984).

• Walshaw, S.O. Animal death and human emotion in the laboratory. Lab Anim. (NY) 23, 24–29 (1994).