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WHITBY FREEPRESS, V DNSDYSETEBE 2,1990Ã", PAGE 27 By Trudie ZavadovIos " A young high, sehool "student with the courage ta standby lher convictions on the cantroversial issue of animal dissection, won a Iandmark case in hier home state Of California and has effected change in any- other areas of North America. Durham Animal Defenders, an. animal rights' group in Durham Region, has also championed this cause as well as athers readn the rights of animais. Three years ago, Jenifer Gra- hasophomore at high school in ëalifornia, told her, biology teacher she did not want ta dissect a frog, a practice that was part of the curriculum for that class. Jenifer, a vegetarian since age 10, said that she was morall1 opposed ta the practice. She diff however, sayý she was willing t do an alternative assigninent. lier teacher told hier it was a necessary part of the course and that she would risk failure un- less she participated. Grahamn took her argument ta the princi- pal who echoed the sentiments of Graham's teacher. The principal suggested that she get a lawyer if she feit so strongly about the issue. That is precisely what she did. Ini an open letter ta other stu- dents she writes, "I went ta court ta plead my case. The judge who presided over my case was sam- pathetic ta my beliefs and he pe comýe up wth an alternative assigninent. Later, I testified before the California legisiature, and they passed a lawý giving California students the right not ta dissect.» Graham's message ta other students is ta, stand up for your rights, even if it means taking a risk. 'The court case is long over, but the issue of animal rights and students' rights ta stand up for their beliefs is stili very much in the forefront. Jenifer's mother.Patricia Gra- ham was at the Whitby Public iÀbrary on Sept. il ta 'discuss the issue of animal dissection and ta discuss the 'dissection hotline' she bas started. «The feelings Jenifer had are shared by many" says Patricia. "We have developed the hotline as well as a student handbook and a handbook for- teachers with feelings around the issue.» Grahamn ssys that the 1-800 number cannot be called from Canada but that people are wel- came ta write for information. She also suggested the saine kind of program could work in Canada. She says that sinée the hotline opened last year, there ave been over 18,000 calîs. "A lot of people think that high school students can't have ethical convictions," saysGraham. «We've had over 8,000 caîls in the past 18 months.'Only two of those callers sa.id 'It's grass - I just can't stand it.' "The scientific process requires us ta separate from our emo- tions. Science divorced from emo- PAT GRAHEAM, director of Students-Against Dissection Hotline. ion e thing. Science divor- ced from ethics is another. We -would al be better off if we moved away from animal research. It simply has ta stop. 'ITle most imnportant thingwe can do is empower aur children ta stand up for what they believe in."» Also discussed were the alter- natives ta using real animais in laboratary dissection studies. Alternatives include computer dissections, diagraxns and piasticè models of frogs whose organs were accurately reproduced and could be peeled away giving hands-on experience. Durham Animal Defenders is a registered non-profit organiza- tion committed. ta, elimnating injustices ta animaIs. Dissection of animaIs 18 one of the many issues they address. Another is the inhumane treatment of ani- mais, raised, trapped and used for fur. Their next meeting is schedu- led for Oct. 9 at Whitby Public Library. For more informnation caîl 1-416-263-8945. McKay re-elected as AAIIA secretary Dr. Claytan A. MacKay, hospital director of the MacKay Animal Clinic in Whitby, has been re-elected secretary of the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA). MacKay was sworn in at the 57th AAHA annual meeting in San Francisco on Sept. 12. MacKay has served the association since 1981 when he was appointed an- area director for the northeast region. A 1970 graduate of the Ontario Veterinary College at the University of Guelp, MacKay is actively in olved with bis professional associations. He is on the animal welfare committee for bath the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association and the Anierican Veterinary Medical Association. lie also serves on the board of consultants for the Delta Society and is on the board of the Human Animal Bond Association of Canada. MacKay la past -president of the Colege of Veterinarians in Ontario, and is a member of the American Veterinary Society af Animal Behavior, the Animal Behavior Society- the Ontario Veterinary Medical Association, the South Durhamn Vterinary Association, and the Toronto Academy of Veterinary Medicine. MacKay serves on the board of the PIckering - Ajax - Whitby Animal ContraI Comnittee, is vice president of the County Town Pet Services, 18 editor of a family pet colunin for the Toronto Star, and is a veterinary consultant for CBC Toronto Radia Noon. He was the recipient of the 1989 Whitby Chamber of Commerce Business Person of the Year Award. The Ainerican Animal Hospital Association- is an international organization of mare than 10,000 veterinarians who treat companion animals such as dogs and cats. Established in 1933, the association is well-known axnong veterinarians for its quality standards for hospitals and pet health care. 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